LETCHER COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — A Kentucky judge has denied a motion to dismiss the indictment against former Letcher County Sheriff Shawn Stines, who is accused of fatally shooting District Judge Kevin Mullins in September 2024.
According to court documents a judge ruled that prosecutors did not engage in misconduct during grand jury proceedings that led to Stines' indictment in November 2024.
In a separate ruling, the judge granted Stines' motion for a bond hearing but denied his request to introduce portions of a sealed psychological evaluation as evidence, court documents detailed.
LEX 18 previously reported that Stines indicated he plans to present defenses of extreme emotional disturbance and insanity at trial. He remains in custody on charges of murder, which carries the possibility of the death penalty.
Stines allegedly shot and killed District Judge Kevin Mullins on Sept. 19, 2024, in the judge's chambers. The shooting was captured on video, which was played during Stines' preliminary hearing and shown to the grand jury.
The defense argued that prosecutors presented false and misleading testimony to the grand jury, specifically regarding Stines' mental state and his connection to a federal civil lawsuit involving former deputy Ben Fields, the documents read.
"The defendant alleges that at the November 21, 2024 grand jury meeting, the prosecutor elicited false and misleading testimony which influenced the jury to return the murder indictment," the order read.
The defense claimed this testimony was misleading because medical records showed Stines had been diagnosed with an "acute stress reaction" the day before the shooting. Jail records also documented observations of "active psychosis" during suicide risk assessments conducted after his arrest.
"The video footage clearly serves as a reasonable ground for belief the defendant intended to cause the death when he shot and killed Judge Mullins," the judge wrote.
The defense also argued that Detective Stamper falsely testified that Judge Mullins had no connection to the Ben Fields civil lawsuit. The lawsuit involves allegations of improper sexual relationships with court participants that occurred in Mullins' chambers, according to the motion
The judge ruled that the Commonwealth satisfied its burden of presenting evidence for probable cause, and any alleged omissions or misrepresentations would not have changed the grand jury's decision to indict.
