KY, Judge Kevin Mullins killed, sheriff arrested, Letcher County courthouse shooting - Sep. 19, 2024 MEDIA, MAPS, & TIMELINE**NO DISCUSSION**

[Seattle1]

Hearing in Stines murder trial set for next week - Mountain Top Media

WHITESBURG, Ky. — A hearing has been scheduled in the case of former Letcher County Sheriff Shawn Mickey Stines. Stines is charged with murder for shooting Letcher District Judge Kevin Mullins multiple times in his chambers on Sept. 19, 2024. The entire incident was captured on security cameras...

mountain-topmedia.com

12/12/25

On Thursday, Special Judge Christopher Cohron scheduled a hearing in Letcher Circuit Court for 1:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 18. The hearing is intended to get an update on where the case stands from the prosecution and defense attorneys, as well as to hear all pending motions.

The only motions that are currently pending before the court are a defense request to set bond and a prosecution motion to move the trial to somewhere besides Letcher County or any of the counties surrounding it. However, additional motions could be filed prior to next week’s hearing.

 

[Seattle1]

Prosecution asks to move Stines trial - Mountain Top Media

WHITESBURG, Ky. — Prosecutors have filed a motion asking that a former Letcher County sheriff’s murder trial be held somewhere other than Letcher County or any of its surrounding counties. Shawn Mickey Stines, 44, of McRoberts, is charged with murder for shooting and killing District Judge Kevin...

mountain-topmedia.com

9/2/25

In their motion, prosecutors argue that it would be impossible to have a fair trial in Letcher County, as both Stines and Mullins were elected officials.

“Every eligible voter in Letcher County either had a reason to vote for or against the defendant and victim at one time,” the motion says. “The preconceived opinions as to the character and ability of these two men is likely to irreconcilably prejudice both the Commonwealth and the defendant if this trial takes place in Letcher County.”

In addition, the motion says the amount of pretrial publicity the case has received has also had an effect.

[..]

As evidence, prosecutors included 53 pages of news articles from local and national sources, as well as their comment sections.

The judge will need to rule on the request, after defense attorneys have a chance to respond.

A full copy of the motion follows: [see MSM link above].

 

[Seattle1]

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

12/30/25


“The undersigned has known the presiding judge as a former prosecutor and as a judge and does not seek his recusal lightly,” attorneys Jeremy and Kerri Bartley write in the motion. “However, the eyes of the world have been upon this litigation. The visual optics in this case must demonstrate impartiality.”

[..]

“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.

“At this point, there has been no legal basis as support for the refusal to unseal the [psychiatric] report,” the motion reads. “While that issue is one to be addressed further at a later date, the objective observer would rationally believe there is inherent bias from the video and this would lead the judge to prohibit this normally admissible report from coming into evidence.”

A copy of the motion follows: please reference MSM link above for pdf document.