Kentucky sheriff pleads not guilty in fatal shooting of judge in his chambers

Andy Rose and Emma Tucker, CNN

(CNN) — The Kentucky sheriff accused of first-degree execution successful nan decease of a territory tribunal judge entered a not blameworthy plea Wednesday during his first tribunal quality since nan sidesplitting that shocked nan mini organization of Letcher County.

Shawn “Mickey” Stines, 43, remains jailed without enslaved aft nan arraignment, which was held remotely successful a courtroom successful Carter County, 100 miles distant from nan courthouse wherever Judge Kevin Mullins, 54, was changeable to decease six days earlier.

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Prosecutors did not coming grounds during nan arraignment, leaving a imaginable motive for nan sidesplitting a mystery. Stines appeared remotely from nan Leslie County Detention Center.

Stines besides did not remark connected nan charges during nan hearing, but Judge Rupert Wilhoit asked him astir his finances aft Stines confirmed he wanted a court-appointed attorney.

The judge expressed skepticism astir whether Stines, who said he owns 2 homes and earns $115,000 arsenic sheriff, was genuinely indigent.

“Sir, it’s my knowing that he is successful nan process of losing his occupation arsenic sheriff of Letcher County, obviously, and will not person income going forward,” nationalist defender Josh Miller told nan judge.

A preliminary proceeding to coming grounds successful nan lawsuit was scheduled for October 1 successful Morgan County, different courtroom acold from nan crime scene.

What transpired successful nan judge’s chambers moments earlier nan fatal shooting that day is still being investigated, authorities said. Other group were successful nan building erstwhile nan judge was changeable but nary 1 other was wrong his chambers, Kentucky State Police Trooper Matt Gayheart has said.

Stines’ occupation made him responsible for security astatine region courthouses, including nan individual information of judges, according to nan Kentucky Sheriff’s Association. He’s now facing a first-degree execution charge, and it’s unclear who will return his spot arsenic sheriff.

Cameras were wrong nan building, and each witnesses will beryllium interviewed, said Gayheart, who stressed this is nan first clip a calamity “of this magnitude” has afflicted nan county.

Stines and Mullins ate luncheon together hours earlier nan shooting, Circuit Court Clerk Mike Watts told CNN connection WKYT.

“The full region is conscionable devastated by this,” Watts told WKYT, nodding to nan void near successful nan section justness system. “We’ve not only mislaid our sheriff and territory judge, but I’ve mislaid 2 individual friends that I worked pinch daily.”

Just days earlier nan shooting, connected Sept. 16, Stines was deposed successful an ongoing federal suit involving a erstwhile lawman who coerced a female to person activity pinch him successful 2021, CNN antecedently reported.

The suit alleges nan intersexual allegations against nan lawman “were not appropriately investigated by Sheriff Stines,” who fired nan lawman successful 2022.

Jonathan Shaw, nan lawyer representing Stines successful his charismatic capacity successful nan lawsuit, told CNN successful an email he did not person nan authority to speak connected Stines’ individual behalf successful nan national suit aliases nan execution case.

An enactment of unit betwixt 2 men ‘I loved for illustration brothers,’ region lawyer says

Many residents knew nan 2 salient figures successful nan community, and friends of some nan sheriff and judge said they were stunned by nan sidesplitting and struggling to understand why it had happened.

The quiet, seemingly regular time successful tribunal turned chaotic erstwhile constabulary received a 911 telephone conscionable earlier 3 p.m. Thursday reporting shots fired from wrong nan courthouse building, authorities constabulary said.

Hearing reports of an progressive shooter successful nan courthouse, tribunal information serviceman Wallace Kincer and Watts, nan circuit tribunal clerk, leapt into action, starring attorneys and tribunal unit distant from chartless threat that lurked successful nan chambers, according to Matt Butler, commonwealth’s lawyer for Letcher County.

Fear rippled done nan region arsenic students successful Letcher County Public Schools were placed connected lockdown soon earlier 3:30 p.m.

Mullins was recovered pinch aggregate gunshot wounds and was pronounced dormant astatine nan scene, constabulary said.

Butler recused himself and his agency from nan sheriff’s prosecution because he and nan judge joined 2 sisters and their children enactment much for illustration siblings than cousins, he said successful a connection past week. “Our organization has suffered an enactment of unit that appears to beryllium betwixt 2 men that I person worked pinch for 17 years and loved for illustration brothers,” Butler said successful a societal media post.

Some residents, including Butler, are calling for much capable information protocols successful nan courthouse, specified arsenic installing a metallic detector and adding information astatine nan entrance.

“The Letcher County Courthouse is 1 of nan past that you tin locomotion into without a metallic detector aliases information astatine nan beforehand door,” said Butler, who called it “unacceptable.”

Mullins is survived by his woman and 2 daughters, his obituary states. “He died successful his chambers of nan courthouse wherever he spent his profession moving to thief people,” nan obituary said.

CNN’s Dalia Faheid and Dakin Andone contributed to this report.