Kentucky - Judge killed, sheriff arrested in Letcher County courthouse shooting - Sep. 19, 2024 # 4

[arielilane]

LETCHER COUNTY, Ky. (Scripps News Group) — The defense team for former Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines has filed a motion requesting a hearing to determine if their client has a serious intellectual disability or mental illness that would exclude him from facing the death penalty.

2.10.2026

Under Kentucky law, defendants determined to have a serious intellectual disability or serious mental illness cannot be executed. The statute requires the court to make this determination at least 90 days before trial begins.



The defense indicated they plan to present sealed evidence during the hearing, though specific details about Stines’ alleged condition were not disclosed in the filing.

 

[tlcya]

LETCHER COUNTY, Ky. (Scripps News Group) — The defense team for former Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines has filed a motion requesting a hearing to determine if their client has a serious intellectual disability or mental illness that would exclude him from facing the death penalty.

2.10.2026

Under Kentucky law, defendants determined to have a serious intellectual disability or serious mental illness cannot be executed. The statute requires the court to make this determination at least 90 days before trial begins.



The defense indicated they plan to present sealed evidence during the hearing, though specific details about Stines’ alleged condition were not disclosed in the filing.

I wonder what took them so long. We've anticipated this defense for a long while now, defense has been pretty open about that being their defense.

Shawn Stines' defense requests mental health hearing in death penalty fight

 

[Luna20]

LETCHER COUNTY, Ky. (Scripps News Group) — The defense team for former Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines has filed a motion requesting a hearing to determine if their client has a serious intellectual disability or mental illness that would exclude him from facing the death penalty.

2.10.2026

Under Kentucky law, defendants determined to have a serious intellectual disability or serious mental illness cannot be executed. The statute requires the court to make this determination at least 90 days before trial begins.



The defense indicated they plan to present sealed evidence during the hearing, though specific details about Stines’ alleged condition were not disclosed in the filing.

The irony of the perp wanting to avoid the death penalty for someone who is responsible for a death.

 

[girlhasnoname]

As sane as a judge..... Mullins had crossed a line somehow; at sometime, and it festered so he decided to right it. Linearity of purpose; drives men to commit fearsome deeds, from combat to personal defense/safety.
There was/is an underlining cause here wee may never know.

Could be, but vigilante justice is still murder and we've all seen the video. Stines was calm, cool and collect until he stood up, walked over and shot Judge M.

JMO

 

[girlhasnoname]

I still can’t help but wonder if Stines has a brain tumor or something… it’s just… i still have a hard time wrapping my head around this one

It is crazy, they had been friends for a long time. I believe Stines was a Bailiff for Mullins before becoming Sheriff.

 

[OldAce]

Could be, but vigilante justice is still murder and we've all seen the video. Stines was calm, cool and collect until he stood up, walked over and shot Judge M.

JMO

I agree. Never said he was not guilty of the actual shooting, as we have seen. I just think there was a deeper reason; that surfaced in the preceding interim, that drove Stines to commit. Pressure, stress, actual insanity.. Temp or complete?
I am old, and I would like to know what not to do to someone to trigger such reprisal. That knowledge advances ageing...

 

[girlhasnoname]

I agree. Never said he was not guilty of the actual shooting, as we have seen. I just think there was a deeper reason; that surfaced in the preceding interim, that drove Stines to commit. Pressure, stress, actual insanity.. Temp or complete?
I am old, and I would like to know what not to do to someone to trigger such reprisal. That knowledge advances ageing...

I agree something must have been stewing with Stines, but I still don't believe the GBRI works here. JMO

 

[Spyderlady]

The special judge assigned to the murder case against former Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines has declined to recuse himself.

Read more at: https://www.kentucky.com/news/local/crime/article314956111.html#storylink=cpy

 

[tlcya]

The motion was sent to the Supreme Court of Kentucky, which sent the matter back to the Letcher County Circuit Court in January 2026 for a decision. The Supreme Court of Kentucky stated that if Cohron recused himself, the matter was concluded, but if he denied the order, Stines’ attorneys could seek a further review.

On Friday, Cohron denied the motion, stating he had no bias in the case and that there were no facts that would call that into question.

“As I have no personal bias or prejudice concerning a party, and there are no surrounding facts and circumstances upon which an objective observer might reasonably question my impartiality, the Motion is DENIED,” Cohron wrote.
https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/jud...is-recusal-in-former-ky-sheriff-murder-trial/

 

[you betcha]

Not exactly a judgment on my part either way, but it sounds odd that a judge can decide they don't have any bias and refuse to recuse themselves. Reads a bit like "we investigated ourselves and found nothing wrong". Is that normal in law?

 

[Mack the Knife]

LETCHER COUNTY, Ky. (Scripps News Group) — The defense team for former Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines has filed a motion requesting a hearing to determine if their client has a serious intellectual disability or mental illness that would exclude him from facing the death penalty.

2.10.2026

Under Kentucky law, defendants determined to have a serious intellectual disability or serious mental illness cannot be executed. The statute requires the court to make this determination at least 90 days before trial begins.



The defense indicated they plan to present sealed evidence during the hearing, though specific details about Stines’ alleged condition were not disclosed in the filing.

What galls me is that Stines was not just some guy who shot a judge. He was a sheriff, a law enforcement officer.

Here’s how the statute defines serious intellectual disability or serious mental illness:

(2) A defendant with significant subaverage intellectual functioning existing
concurrently with substantial deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during
the developmental period is referred to in KRS 532.135 and 532.140 as a defendant
with a serious intellectual disability. "Significantly subaverage general intellectual
functioning" is defined as an intelligence quotient (I.Q.) of seventy (70) or below.
(3) A defendant is referred to in KRS 532.135 and 532.140 as a defendant with serious
mental illness if:
(a) At the time of the offense, he or she has active symptoms and a documented
history, including a diagnosis, of one (1) or more of the following mental
disorders using the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American Psychiatric
Association:
1. Schizophrenia;
2. Schizoaffective disorder;
3. Bipolar disorder; or
4. Delusional disorder; and
(b) The disorder is not manifested primarily by repeated criminal conduct or
attributable solely to the acute effects of the voluntary use of alcohol or other
drugs.
As used in this subsection, a documented history and diagnosis shall be from a
mental health professional as defined in KRS 645.020(7)(a) to (d).

So they are alleging that either the twice-elected sheriff has a sub-70 IQ, or that he had been formerly diagnosed with one of those four mental disorders and was actively experiencing symptoms. They are alleging that they have evidence that while this guy was walking around in charge of law enforcement for Letcher County, he was of such diminished capacity that he shouldn’t legally be qualified for the same punishments as a typical person.

I’m highly doubtful, but if this is true this is a horrible thing.

 

[Seattle1]

The 12/30/25 defense Motion (linked below) did shed light on certain aspects about Special Judge Christopher Cohron-- where I'm very curious to know why he didn't immediately and/or voluntarily disclose this information to the Parties upon his appointment as special judge for this case, in the spirit of full disclosure.

For example, as a basis for the defense request, the motion says the defense recently came into possession of a video of Mullins and the special judge in the case, Christopher Cohron, of Bowling Green, attending a meeting of the Kentucky Judicial Commission on Mental Health just one week prior to the shooting that killed Mullins. The motion goes on to say the two judges sat side-by-side, “inches apart,” for about two hours, and that Mullins’ widow also attended the meeting.

[see YT of the two-hour Judicial Commission Meeting below. Take note Judge Mullins appears in view at about 1:13:14 hour-minute mark, and Special Judge Cohron joins his table a few seconds later].

“The presiding judge [Cohron] did not disclose this fact to the parties, despite the close connection in time to the events at issue, leading to an appearance of impropriety,” the motion reads.

The motion goes on to say that the fact that the two judges served on the same committee would not normally be sufficient to seek a recusal, but other events in the case suggest bias. In particular, the motion points to Cohron disallowing the use of Stines’ psychiatric report in an upcoming bond hearing.

IMO, having viewed the 9/12/24 video of the Judicial Commission Meeting linked below, while it's true that there is minimal interaction between Judge Mullins and Judge Cohron during the meeting, I agree with the defense that Judge Cohron keeping silent here that he sat next to Judge Mullins at the meeting within days of Mullins being shot and killed, gives the impression that Cohron has something to hide. In other words, Judge Cohron brought this appearance of impropriety upon himself by not making the simple disclosure. JMO

Stines' attorneys ask judge to recuse himself from murder trial - Mountain Top Media

WHITESBURG, Ky. — We now have a good idea about what prompted the cancellation of the most recent court hearing in the case against the former Letcher County sheriff accused of murdering a district judge. Former Letcher Sheriff Shawn Mickey Stines is charged with murder for shooting and killing...

mountain-topmedia.com

Kentucky Judicial Commission on Mental Health Meeting (9/12/2024)​

Judge refuses to step down from Stines murder trial - Mountain Top Media

WHITESBURG, Ky. — Special Judge Christopher Cohron will remain on the Shawn Mickey Stines murder case. Stines is the former Letcher County sheriff charged with murder for the Sept. 19, 2024, shooting death of Letcher District Judge Kevin Mullins in the judge’s chambers. Back in December, defense...

mountain-topmedia.com

 

[Seattle1]

Civil rights suit tied to ex-bailiff settled pre-trial - The Mountain Eagle

Four years after a former inmate filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against former court bailiff Ben Fields and the Letcher County Sheriff’s Department, the case has been settled. The case had been scheduled to go to trial Tuesday. A jury had arrived at the courthouse, but the matter was...

www.themountaineagle.com

3/4/26

 

[Seattle1]

Settlement reached in Letcher courthouse sex scandal lawsuit - Mountain Top Media

LONDON, Ky. — A last-minute settlement has been reached in a lawsuit against a former Letcher County deputy, filed by a woman who had accused him of demanding sex in exchange for favorable treatment. The case involves Ben Fields, who pleaded guilty in state court to sex crimes while supervising...

mountain-topmedia.com

3/4/26

 

[Seattle1]

https://fox56news.com/news/kentucky/kentucky-courthouse-brothel-case-settled-minutes-before-trial/

3/4/26

FOX 56 has reached out to Adkins’ legal counsel to learn more about the details of the settlement.

On Wednesday, Attorney Joe Childers said that there were two separate settlements: one with the Letcher County Sheriff’s Office for $300,000 and one with Ben Fields for an undisclosed amount.

“My client was very happy with the settlement, and is relieved to put this traumatic chapter of her life behind her,” Childers said.

ETA: Also, on 12/20/25, Plaintiff notified the Court that she resolved all pending claims against Defendant Eastern Kentucky Correctional Services Inc. (inmate home monitoring service that employed Ben Fields).

 

[tlcya]

View attachment 651624

The 12/30/25 defense Motion (linked below) did shed light on certain aspects about Special Judge Christopher Cohron-- where I'm very curious to know why he didn't immediately and/or voluntarily disclose this information to the Parties upon his appointment as special judge for this case, in the spirit of full disclosure.

For example, as a basis for the defense request, the motion says the defense recently came into possession of a video of Mullins and the special judge in the case, Christopher Cohron, of Bowling Green, attending a meeting of the Kentucky Judicial Commission on Mental Health just one week prior to the shooting that killed Mullins. The motion goes on to say the two judges sat side-by-side, “inches apart,” for about two hours, and that Mullins’ widow also attended the meeting.

[see YT of the two-hour Judicial Commission Meeting below. Take note Judge Mullins appears in view at about 1:13:14 hour-minute mark, and Special Judge Cohron joins his table a few seconds later].

“The presiding judge [Cohron] did not disclose this fact to the parties, despite the close connection in time to the events at issue, leading to an appearance of impropriety,” the motion reads.

The motion goes on to say that the fact that the two judges served on the same committee would not normally be sufficient to seek a recusal, but other events in the case suggest bias. In particular, the motion points to Cohron disallowing the use of Stines’ psychiatric report in an upcoming bond hearing.

IMO, having viewed the 9/12/24 video of the Judicial Commission Meeting linked below, while it's true that there is minimal interaction between Judge Mullins and Judge Cohron during the meeting, I agree with the defense that Judge Cohron keeping silent here that he sat next to Judge Mullins at the meeting within days of Mullins being shot and killed, gives the impression that Cohron has something to hide. In other words, Judge Cohron brought this appearance of impropriety upon himself by not making the simple disclosure. JMO

Stines' attorneys ask judge to recuse himself from murder trial - Mountain Top Media

WHITESBURG, Ky. — We now have a good idea about what prompted the cancellation of the most recent court hearing in the case against the former Letcher County sheriff accused of murdering a district judge. Former Letcher Sheriff Shawn Mickey Stines is charged with murder for shooting and killing...

mountain-topmedia.com

Kentucky Judicial Commission on Mental Health Meeting (9/12/2024)​

Judge refuses to step down from Stines murder trial - Mountain Top Media

WHITESBURG, Ky. — Special Judge Christopher Cohron will remain on the Shawn Mickey Stines murder case. Stines is the former Letcher County sheriff charged with murder for the Sept. 19, 2024, shooting death of Letcher District Judge Kevin Mullins in the judge’s chambers. Back in December, defense...

mountain-topmedia.com

I don't believe the judge is biased. The two men didn't appear to interact or be familiar with one another in the slightest.

But I do believe he has the appearance of bias by his failure to disclose. I think he should have recused himself as the appearance alone is enough to cast doubt on his impartiality.

 

[tlcya]

My concern is, any judge in teh region is likely to have known the victim and be subject to the same sort of motion. I think the judge should come from another area of the state.

 

[Seattle1]

My concern is, any judge in teh region is likely to have known the victim and be subject to the same sort of motion. I think the judge should come from another area of the state.

I was very surprised by the existing citations from the KY Supreme Court in the Judge's 13-page Order dated March 6, 2026, denying the defense's Motion for Recusal. The complete Order is embedded in the MSM link below.

While I agree that sharing no more than the same area at a professional meeting, with dozens of other individuals in attendance, would not and/or should not cause disqualification, I find the proximity of the date of Mullins murder, and Cohron's failure to disclose the benign event, difficult to overcome. That said, it doesn't seem to me that KY's acceptable procedures follow my thinking. In other words, on Appeal, I think his ruling would likely be upheld. JMO

Judge refuses to step down from Stines murder trial - Mountain Top Media

WHITESBURG, Ky. — Special Judge Christopher Cohron will remain on the Shawn Mickey Stines murder case. Stines is the former Letcher County sheriff charged with murder for the Sept. 19, 2024, shooting death of Letcher District Judge Kevin Mullins in the judge’s chambers. Back in December, defense...

mountain-topmedia.com