Letcher County Sheriff Shawn M. Stines pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in connection with the fatal shooting of Judge Kevin Mullins in his chambers after an argument. Stines appeared virtually in court from the Leslie County jail, where he has been held since the shooting at the Letcher County Courthouse. A motive for the shooting remains unclear, but three days earlier, Stines had been deposed in connection with a federal lawsuit that alleged one of his deputies had sexually abused a woman in Mullins’ chambers. The suit accused Stines of failing to properly supervise the deputy, turning the courthouse into a place of “sexual extortion.”
Judge Mullins was not accused of wrongdoing in the lawsuit, but Stines argued that he was immune from being sued due to his position as an elected official and law enforcement officer. The shooting has shocked the small community, with Commonwealth’s Attorney Matt Butler describing it as an “unspeakable tragedy.” The case has been transferred to the Kentucky Attorney General and the commonwealth’s attorney for the 27th Judicial Circuit due to Butler’s personal relationship with the judge and a staff member’s presence in the courthouse at the time of the shooting. The community has come together in support of Mullins’ family, with his mother expressing gratitude for the outpouring of support. The investigation into the shooting continues, and it is unclear if there is a connection between the lawsuit and the incident.
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