Kentucky - Judge killed, sheriff arrested in Letcher County courthouse shooting - Sep. 19, 2024 # 2

[MollyDDD]

I'm not sure this is correct? Is the lawsuit naming him as a Defendant saying that he failed to investigate the assaults or just that he failed to properly supervise? Those are totally different allegations with different ramifications.

No, he was not named as a defendant in this case. Just a casual observer. IMO

 

[MollyDDD]

So looking at the Complaint, this is NOT what Stines was being accused of. Just failure to properly train/supervise. And it is all in his capacity as Sheriff. So he was never going to be personally liable for this.

True. He’s got much bigger problems now. IMO

 

[riolove77]

I would think the sheriff would have been allowed to bypass a security check anyway.

He would. None of our sworn personnel go through security when entering the courthouse.

 

[Insightful1]

I think if the civil suit plaintiff believed or could substantiate that Stines KNEW and failed to act about the in chambers extracurriculars Fields was up to that would have been part of their complaint and they would have more counts against Stines than just he should have known and must have failed to train Fields not to SA people. JMO

In the lawsuit Stines is also accused of failing to “ reasonably respond “ to reports or suspicions.

 

[RANCH]

In the lawsuit Stines is also accused of failing to “ reasonably respond “ to reports or suspicions.

Who made the reports and who were they given to?

Suspicions seems pretty vague. JMO.

 

[al66pine]

Aired 10/09/2024. Guest is attorney for plaintiff in civil suit. Describes Stines demeanor during deposition days before shooting.

Defense Attorney of Sheriff Accused of Killing Judge Speaks

'Mickey' Stines' attorney, Jeremy Bartley, says 'It was not something that was planned and occurred in the heat of passion.'

www.courttv.com

@twall Thx for your post w link to courttv program.
Rather than trying to summarize or paraphrase, here are timestamps for
sections relevant to this case for others.

1:03 - intro starts

4:48- quote from Stines' def. attorney, Jeremy Bartley in People.com. (https://www.carwreckattorneykentucky.com/attorney/bartley-jeremy-alan/)

7:35 - Vinny interviews atty rep'ing woman who sued deputy & named Stines in as addtnl def't in suit (NED PILLERSDORF, Pillersdorf Law Offices - Prestonsburg, Kentucky)

14:08 - "Think Tank" panel w 3 atty's.
(Sorry, did not catch their names, but all have done crim def work)

 

[al66pine]

dbm

 

[Seattle1]

Who made the reports and who were they given to?

Suspicions seems pretty vague. JMO.

In reality, it doesn't really matter what was claimed because it's only an allegation. This is a federal civil lawsuit where the counts requesting monetary damages be awarded are claims citing the plaintiffs' civil rights were violated. Nobody gets charged or goes to jail.

Stines is not being sued, Letcher County is being sued in his name, along with two other defendants including Fields, and the Eastern Kentucky Correctional Services Inc., a contractor to the county providing pretrial ankle monitoring services in Letcher County. This is a lawsuit that was never intended to go to trial, and it won't. MOO

 

[detectivewannab]

In reality, it doesn't really matter what was claimed because it's only an allegation. This is a federal civil lawsuit where the counts requesting monetary damages be awarded are claims citing the plaintiffs' civil rights were violated. Nobody gets charged or goes to jail.

Stines is not being sued, Letcher County is being sued in his name, along with two other defendants including Fields, and the Eastern Kentucky Correctional Services Inc., a contractor to the county providing pretrial ankle monitoring services in Letcher County. This is a lawsuit that was never intended to go to trial. MOO

Stines would still be under stress because it's his reputation. Maybe the Judge went on record about something he seen or was told.

 

[OldAce]

I interpreted his request to be treated fairly to mean he wasn't expecting to be treated better than any other common criminal. He knew he just murdered someone and he was willing to take the heat for it. Whatever his motive was, he felt the crime was worth it - so don't bother treating him better than anyone else.

That's how I took it anyway.

jmo

When it all comes clear as to motive, it may be that Mullins was treated "fairly".
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."
"Fairness" is based on a balance of facts. We do not have the facts, just rumor/conjecture.

 

[Seattle1]

Stines would still be under stress because it's his reputation. Maybe the Judge went on record about something he seen or was told.

I don't doubt Stines would be under stress because this was part of his job. But to be clear, this civil lawsuit, and all of the details, came out in January 2022, and Fields was long ago criminally charged and prosecuted for the same. Knowing all there is to know here, Stines went on to be re-elected in November 2022, receiving 75% of the votes cast. In other words, his reputation didn't take a hit. Please reference my prior posts for link to election results.

 

[OldAce]

People can say anything, especially those with the most to lose. IMO

“The rumor about their daughter being sexually abused is false.
"There's so much parsed wording in this case,"
Yes, parsed for sure. Not sexual abuse, but maybe in other ways? There is so much tip toeing around all the "information" we have, to not point the finger at the judge or let the Sheriff off the hook.
Something was/is going on in the area, and it came to a head as Stines could/would no longer tolerate in his position as Sheriff/father/husband. or as a man. This was his way of stopping/correcting that something. Drugs activity in the area has been freely mentioned, somewhere back in these posts, something on poker club gambling. The field is wide and wild ranging.
I think the true motive will out, and in the not so distant future. There are too many supporting players here for it to be kept secret. Just MOO.

 

[Friday Fan]

“The rumor about their daughter being sexually abused is false.
"There's so much parsed wording in this case,"
Yes, parsed for sure. Not sexual abuse, but maybe in other ways? There is so much tip toeing around all the "information" we have, to not point the finger at the judge or let the Sheriff off the hook.
Something was/is going on in the area, and it came to a head as Stines could/would no longer tolerate in his position as Sheriff/father/husband. or as a man. This was his way of stopping/correcting that something. Drugs activity in the area has been freely mentioned, somewhere back in these posts, something on poker club gambling. The field is wide and wild ranging.
I think the true motive will out, and in the not so distant future. There are too many supporting players here for it to be kept secret. Just MOO.

I would like to know the last time a judge was murdered in the US by a sheriff or chief of police?

I think that will answer something. I was a teenager during Manson, so that kinda broke the mold. I don't think a sheriff or chief of police has murdered a judge in the past 100 years. Probably not since the 19th Century. Either this was the most corrupt judge ever or this is the most popular sheriff in the country. An attorney on Vinnie Politan's show said, he's so popular that a grand jury in Lechter County will not indict him.

 

[RANCH]

In reality, it doesn't really matter what was claimed because it's only an allegation. This is a federal civil lawsuit where the counts requesting monetary damages be awarded are claims citing the plaintiffs' civil rights were violated. Nobody gets charged or goes to jail.

Stines is not being sued, Letcher County is being sued in his name, along with two other defendants including Fields, and the Eastern Kentucky Correctional Services Inc., a contractor to the county providing pretrial ankle monitoring services in Letcher County. This is a lawsuit that was never intended to go to trial, and it won't. MOO

I'm confused. So there's no reports?

 

[Ontario Mom]

I don't think the Fields scandal has anything to do with the judge's murder.

I couldn't agree more. This was deeply personal.

jmo

 

[OldAce]

I would like to know the last time a judge was murdered in the US by a sheriff or chief of police?

I think that will answer something. I was a teenager during Manson, so that kinda broke the mold. I don't think a sheriff or chief of police has murdered a judge in the past 100 years. Probably not since the 19th Century. Either this was the most corrupt judge ever or this is the most popular sheriff in the country. An attorney on Vinnie Politan's show said, he's so popular that a grand jury in Lechter County will not indict him.

I wonder if Wikipedia or Google would have that. Might be an enlightening exercise. Are you considering this as a lack of precedent?

Added:
Is it possible that during the deposition regarding Fields; the Judges "chambers" lacking any camera could have triggered his thinking, and his examination of some past events/allegations/ rumors etc came to terrible truths?
It is strange you would add camera coverage to such an undesirable location (as has been described) except to capture any similar future illicit deeds. Stranger to have no audio. Usually they go hand in hand in legal (though covert) installations.

 

[Angelcat13]

Up until the shooting, the Letcher County Courthouse was proud to cite how they took pride in being one of the few if not the only District Courthouse without any security screening entrance! Doors open, come on in, representative of the 1700 population of Whitesburg, KY.

The County Jail is located in the basement level of the Courthouse building, and the offending deputy named in the civil lawsuit was actually Mullins bailiff -- giving him easy access to both the building, and Mullins Chambers. By all accounts, the camera in Mullins Chambers followed the indictment of bailiff Fields. MOO

Do we know -
WHO installed the cameras?
WHEN were they installed?
WHY were they installed?
WHO KNEW THEY WERE THERE? (Especially did MS and/or KM know?)
Was the footage being reviewed on a regular basis?
If so, WHO was reviewing the footage?

 

[cujenn81]

It appears to me that KY allows the State to request a change of venue.

https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=19487

When a criminal or penal action is pending in any Circuit Court, the judge thereof shall, upon the application of the defendant or of the state, order the trial to be held in some adjacent county to which there is no valid objection, if it appears that the defendant or the state cannot have a fair trial in the county where the prosecution is pending. If the judge is satisfied that a fair trial cannot be had in an adjacent county, he may order the trial to be had in the most convenient county in which a fair trial can be had.

 

[Friday Fan]

I wonder if Wikipedia or Google would have that. Might be an enlightening exercise. Are you considering this as a lack of precedent?

Yes. This just isn't done. Corrupt judges are usually dealt with via the judicial system. This isn't some guy, family man who is just claiming "self-defense". This isn't a cop whose life is being threatened by a criminal.
This would be a "revenge", "vigilante" killing at the very least. A cold blooded execution at the worst.

So far, almost every judge I can find has been murdered by a defendant. A federal judge was murdered by a plaintiff after a case was dropped. A few judges have been murdered by their spouses. But 99% of murders have involved defendants. Only 42 judges were murdered in the 20th century.

 

[Seattle1]

I'm confused. So there's no reports?

The federal civil lawsuit is ongoing but no, there has been "no report" or proof provided by the plaintiffs that Stines had any knowledge of Fields actions, or that he failed to respond. This is the burden of the plaintiff.

We do know that the day after Stines received the Plaintiff's lawsuit, Fields was terminated from the department. He wasn't placed on leave pending an investigation, he was gone. I think this goes to Stines credit given Fields was not criminally indicted and/or charged until nine months later, following an independent investigation by the AGO.

IMO, the plaintiffs lawsuit will prevail on Counts that Fields violated the plaintiffs constitutional rights but not because Stines had knowledge and failed to respond.

Big difference between filing a civil lawsuit and a criminal action! Plaintiff's lawyers make allegations all the time but it doesn't make them true! Especially since a civil suit is a money grab -- the only possible relief by the Court is a monetary award. Nobody will go to jail.

For example, Colorado Plaintiff Barry Morphew, a suspect in the 2020 murder of his wife filed a $15M federal civil lawsuit against the FBI, Sheriff, prosecutors, etc., alleging his constitutional rights were violated. The multiple defendants being sued answered his complaint with Motions to Dismiss, and the Court Agreed with the arguments by the defendants, and the plaintiff's lawsuit was dismissed.

Again, just because it's alleged, doesn't make it actionable. MOO

MSN