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.