LETCHER COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — A Kentucky judge has denied a motion to remove her from the murder case against a former Letcher County sheriff accused of killing a district judge, ruling that her prior professional interactions with the victim do not constitute bias.
Boyle Circuit Court is presiding over the case against Shawn M. Stines, who is charged with murdering then-Letcher County District Judge Kevin Mullins. Stines filed a verified motion asking the judge to recuse herself, arguing her impartiality could reasonably be questioned.
The motion was based on a video of a Sept. 12, 2024, meeting of the Kentucky Judicial Commission on Mental Health — a meeting held seven days before Mullins was shot and killed, according to the motion. The video shows the judge walking into the meeting and sitting beside Mullins for around two hours.
Stines argued the video showed the judge nodding in apparent approval when Mullins spoke about an upcoming program at the District Judge's College, which the defense characterized as "a sharing of accolades," the motion read. The defense also argued the video reflected inherent bias that influenced a prior ruling in the case — the denial of a motion to unseal a Kentucky Correctional Psychiatric Center report.
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In her order, filed on March 6, the judge denied the motion, writing that she has no personal bias or prejudice concerning any party in the case.
"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," the order said.
The judge noted that both she and Mullins served on the Kentucky Judicial Commission on Mental Health, a body focused on mental health, substance use and intellectual disabilities within the court system.
