Kentucky sheriff charged with fatally shooting a judge pleads not guilty in first court appearance

GRAYSON, Ky. (AP) — The Kentucky sheriff of a small Appalachian county who is accused of walking into a judge’s chambers and fatally shooting him pleaded not guilty to a murder charge on Wednesday.

Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines, 43, is being held in another Kentucky county but was arraigned by video Wednesday before a special judge, who is standing in for the judge who was gunned down, Letcher County District Judge Kevin Mullins.

Wearing a gray jail uniform, Stines showed no emotion while appearing via video for the brief hearing. He appeared alongside a public defender, who entered the not guilty plea on his behalf. The special judge, Carter County District Judge H. Rupert Wilhoit III, conducted the hearing from his courtroom in northeastern Kentucky. There was no discussion of a bond during the hearing, and the judge indicated that the maximum punishment in the case would be the death penalty.

It was the first court appearance for Stines since the shooting, which left residents of the small town of Whitesburg near the Virginia border shocked and confused.

The preliminary investigation indicates Stines shot Mullins multiple times on Sept. 19 following an argument in the courthouse, according to Kentucky State Police. Mullins, 54, who held the judgeship since 2009, died at the scene, and Stines, 43, surrendered minutes later without incident. He was charged with one count of first-degree murder.

Police have not offered any details about a possible motive.

The Kentucky attorney general’s office is collaborating with a special prosecutor in the case.

In Letcher County, those who know the sheriff and the judge had nothing but praise for them, recalling how Mullins helped people with substance abuse disorder get treatment and how Stines led efforts to combat the opioid crisis. They worked together for years and were friends.

Mullins served as a district judge in Letcher County since he was appointed by former Gov. Steve Beshear in 2009 and elected the following year.