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

[arielilane]

Judge did say court adjourned.

 

[tricia]

Uhh...What happened? I must be in a different reality because it seemed they all showed up, and there was no sound. The judge said "adjourned," and that's it.
Does anyone know what happened?

 

[tlcya]

Uhh...What happened? I must be in a different reality because it seemed they all showed up, and there was no sound. The judge said "adjourned," and that's it.
Does anyone know what happened?

Judge said something about finding an appropriate date to address these issues (no clue which issues) and then adjourned. So I am thinking this was continued for some unknown reason, whether at the request of the prosecution or the defense.

 

[arielilane]

Fox 56’s Kiley Hill reported from the courtroom that the hearing lasted less than 10 minutes as “an issue came up.”

It’s unclear what the issue was, but Judge Christopher Cohron was made aware of it and wanted to make sure that it was addressed correctly, Hill reported.

https://fox56news.com/news/kentucky/former-letcher-county-sheriff-to-appear-in-court-for-status-hearing/

 

[arielilane]

From same article posted above:

A court order detailing the hearing said that the court would get a status update from the defense and prosecution and hear all pre-trial motions to determine if a separate hearing would be necessary on any of the pending motions.

A bond reduction and change of venue request were also up for discussion at the hearing.

https://fox56news.com/news/kentucky/former-letcher-county-sheriff-to-appear-in-court-for-status-hearing/

 

[Seattle1]

12/17/25- Hearing was over before it started!

Judge Christopher Cohron announced there was an issue before the Court (not identified) needing a careful procedure, and once this was addressed, the date to hear the pending Motions will be reset. A bench conference with the parties lasting about 30 seconds followed, and Court was adjourned!

Also, the pool camera (L&C) had no audio when the Judge took the bench, so all covering the hearing missed a few words, and the sound was immediately cut off again as the Judge left the bench and the courtroom cleared.

Pending Motions are 1) Defense Motion for bail hearing, and 2) CW Motion for venue change.

 

[Seattle1]

12/18/25

Unexpected Twist in Mickey Stines Hearing​

 

[Izzylizzy]

Live

LIVE! Will Any Judge Be Unbiased? Mikey Stines Wants Judge Disqualified For Relationship With Victim​

 

[legalmomma]

New motion filed in Mickey Stines case over judge’s connection to victim

Shawn Mickey Stines was in a Letcher County courtroom for hearings on bond and possible change of venue. Neither took place.

www.wkyt.com

The defense claims that a week before the shooting, the presiding judge and Kevin Mullins both attended a meeting of the Kentucky Judicial Commission on Mental Health.

Video shows them near each other the entire time during the meeting, according to the motion.

The defense said this video was just recently brought to their attention.

 

[legalmomma]

Former Letcher County sheriff charged with murder requests new judge in case

The former Letcher County sheriff charged with murdering a judge has asked for a new judge to preside over his case.

www.wlky.com

…
Stines' attorneys filed a new motion asking Warren County Judge Christopher Cohron to recuse himself.
…
Judge Cohron has not responded to the motion.

 

[tlcya]

Given the area, the fact that the victim was a sitting judge with a long career, and the fact that folks in said area seem to be separated by one or two degrees instead of the usual seven (ala Kevin Bacon), I am betting they are gonna find it very difficult to find an area judge that doesn't have a potential bias or conflict unfortunately.

I think this is a reach for a defendant who insists he DOESN'T want the venue moved. MOO they need to bring in a judge from outside Lechter County and the surrounding region.

Defense can't have it both ways MOO

 

[tlcya]

The judges’ conference, held Sept. 12, 2024, seven days before the shooting, included judges from across the state discussing mental health. According to Stines’ lawyers, Cohron and Mullins sat “inches apart” during the two-hour meeting, and Cohron failed to disclose the interaction when he was appointed as special judge presiding over Stines’ case. Mullins’ wife was also at the meeting, Stines’ lawyers say. Mullins discussed legislation he intended to implement in Letcher County called “Women’s Dignity Law,” which outlined humane treatment of women inmates.

Read more at: https://www.kentucky.com/news/local/crime/article314057105.html#storylink=cpy

While I find the BBM (IF TRUE) concerning,

MOO, this is Bartley, continuing to put the victim and thus far unproven allegations of sexual misconduct on trial rather than his client. I find it distasteful. We usually see this with the victims of SA and here defense has flipped that disgusting practice on its ear and is employing such tactics against Kevin Mullins, a man who was executed while seated at his desk by the county Sherriff. Gross.

JMO I liken it to Jose Bias and his opening statements about George Anthony and incest/sexual abuse of a defendant who murdered her own daughter and then painted herself as victim. The more Bartley focuses the public narrative on the rumors of victim sexual misconduct the the less attention is paid to the fact that his client executed a judge in cold blood.

 

[PrairieWind]

Given the area, the fact that the victim was a sitting judge with a long career, and the fact that folks in said area seem to be separated by one or two degrees instead of the usual seven (ala Kevin Bacon), I am betting they are gonna find it very difficult to find an area judge that doesn't have a potential bias or conflict unfortunately.

I think this is a reach for a defendant who insists he DOESN'T want the venue moved. MOO they need to bring in a judge from outside Lechter County and the surrounding region.

Defense can't have it both ways MOO

The defense can request a change of venue, the prosecution cannot.

 

[tlcya]

The defense can request a change of venue, the prosecution cannot.

Then perhaps the prosecution should be informed of that because they filed a motion requesting exactly that in September

Updated: 5:46 PM EDT Sep 3, 2025
Prosecutors filed a motion this week requesting a change of venue, arguing it would be impossible to have a fair trial in Letcher County, as both Stines and Mullins were elected officials.
Former Kentucky sheriff charged with killing judge is at odds with change of venue request

 

[PrairieWind]

Then perhaps the prosecution should be informed of that because they filed a motion requesting exactly that in September

Updated: 5:46 PM EDT Sep 3, 2025
Prosecutors filed a motion this week requesting a change of venue, arguing it would be impossible to have a fair trial in Letcher County, as both Stines and Mullins were elected officials.
Former Kentucky sheriff charged with killing judge is at odds with change of venue request

I understand they have filed that. I think it would be reversible error if the court grants it.

 

[tlcya]

I understand they have filed that. I think it would be reversible error if the court grants it.

I understand that is your position. But what you said is that a defendant can request a venue change and the prosecution can't.

While the statute does specifically allow for the state or the defendant in either a civil or criminal matter to request one.

 

[Seattle1]

Given the area, the fact that the victim was a sitting judge with a long career, and the fact that folks in said area seem to be separated by one or two degrees instead of the usual seven (ala Kevin Bacon), I am betting they are gonna find it very difficult to find an area judge that doesn't have a potential bias or conflict unfortunately.

I think this is a reach for a defendant who insists he DOESN'T want the venue moved. MOO they need to bring in a judge from outside Lechter County and the surrounding region.

Defense can't have it both ways MOO

Thanks @tlcya for posting all the updates.

While we know that Stines has long made it known that he wants his trial held in Letcher County, I don't think I've read that the defense filed their response opposing the Commonwealth's Motion to change the venue.

The Court won't rule on the pending Motion until it hears from the defense, and I thought we might learn more about the status during the 12/17 hearing before it was abruptly adjourned! Have you seen anything filed by the defense? Thank you.

 

[tlcya]

Thanks @ticya for posting all the updates.

While we know that Stines has long made it known that he wants his trial held in Letcher County, I don't think I've read that the defense filed their response opposing the Commonwealth's Motion to change the venue.

The Court won't rule on the pending Motion until it hears from the defense, and I thought we might learn more about the status during the 12/17 hearing before it was abruptly adjourned! Have you seen anything filed by the defense? Thank you.

The Defense did file one per this article, but I have yet to see a copy of it. Their argument seems to be that changing venue won't help because international headlines, social media etc. and that the only logical reason the prosecution may have asked for such a thing is to gain "tactical advantage" over them. I, as a layman, find that weak but maybe their motion has magic to it that I can't discern from what the press boiled it down to. Hard to know if there is any meat to their response when you can't really see it for yourself. TYVM for providing the article containing a copy of the state's motion in the media thread. very helpful.

It's interesting to see the defense and prosecution in such a role switch from what we traditionally see in this regard. The defense's argument is exactly what I would expect from a prosecution had the defense brought a motion to change venue. lol

 

[Seattle1]

The Court won't rule on the pending Motion until it hears from the defense, and I thought we might learn more about the status during the 12/17 hearing before it was abruptly adjourned! Have you seen anything filed by the defense? Thank you.

Found it! Seems the defense filed their response within days of the Commonwealth's Petition.

9/3/25

Former Kentucky sheriff charged with killing judge is at odds with change of venue request

A former Kentucky sheriff charged with killing a judge does not want his trial moved.

www.wlky.com

 

[Seattle1]

The Defense did file one per this article, but I have yet to see a copy of it. Their argument seems to be that changing venue won't help because international headlines, social media etc. and that the only logical reason the prosecution may have asked for such a thing is to gain "tactical advantage" over them. I, as a layman, find that weak but maybe their motion has magic to it that I can't discern from what the press boiled it down to. Hard to know if there is any meat to their response when you can't really see it for yourself. TYVM for providing the article containing a copy of the state's motion in the media thread. very helpful.

It's interesting to see the defense and prosecution in such a role switch from what we traditionally see in this regard. The defense's argument is exactly what I would expect from a prosecution had the defense brought a motion to change venue. lol

AI (Google) Overview:

Mickey Stines' defense team has filed a formal opposition to the prosecution's motion for a change of venue, arguing that moving the murder trial would violate his constitutional right to be tried by a jury of his peers in the community where the alleged crime occurred.
Key Arguments from the Defense

• Widespread Media Coverage: The defense contends that because the case has garnered international, national, and state attention (including live coverage by outlets like Court TV), relocating the trial to another county would not escape the extensive pre-trial publicity.
• Right to a Local Jury: Attorneys for Stines emphasize the importance of a jury from the local community, arguing that excluding all Eastern Kentuckians from the jury pool would violate the "basic tenet" of a jury of peers.
• No Showing of Prejudice: The defense argues that simply because potential jurors may have heard about the case is not sufficient grounds for a change of venue unless it can be proven that the news coverage has specifically prejudiced them against Stines.
• Prosecutorial Advantage: Stines' attorneys suggest the prosecution is seeking a change of venue for a "practical or tactical advantage".
• Alternative Venue (If Necessary): The defense stated that if a transfer is granted, it should be to an adjoining county that is convenient for all parties, witnesses, and attorneys involved, as specified by Kentucky law.

Former Kentucky sheriff charged with killing judge is at odds with change of venue request

A former Kentucky sheriff charged with killing a judge does not want his trial moved.

www.wlky.com