LETCHER COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — Former Letcher County Sheriff Shawn Mickey Stines is asking for a new judge in his murder case, claiming the current judge cannot be impartial because he appeared alongside the victim in a video just days before the fatal shooting.
Stines' defense team filed a motion on Dec. 29 requesting Judge Christopher Cohron recuse himself from the case. The motion centers on a September 12, 2024 video from a Kentucky Judicial Commission on Mental Health meeting that shows Cohron and shooting victim Kevin Mullins sitting "inches apart for approximately two hours."
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The meeting occurred just seven days before Stines allegedly shot and killed District Judge Mullins on September 19, 2024.
"The visual optics in this case must demonstrate impartiality," defense attorney Jeremy Bartley wrote in the motion.
The defense argues Cohron's close proximity to Mullins in both time and physical distance creates an appearance of bias that would lead a reasonable observer to question the judge's impartiality, the motion read.
During the recorded meeting, Mullins discussed his legislative work, recovery events, and upcoming plans for a District Judge's College event. The motion notes that Cohron appeared to nod in approval during Mullins' presentation.
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Stines plans to use an insanity defense and argue extreme emotional disturbance, both of which center on his mental state and beliefs about Mullins during the week of the shooting. The defense claims Cohron's professional relationship with the victim could bias him against evidence supporting these defenses.
The motion also criticizes Cohron for refusing to allow a state mental health expert's report as evidence in bond hearings, despite the defendant's consent. Defense attorneys argue this decision appears to stem from bias rather than legal precedent.
