Prosecutors ask judge to maintain murder charge against ex-Letcher County sheriff
Prosecutors in the case of a former Letcher County sheriff charged with killing an Eastern Kentucky judge say they are not willing to dismiss the indictment, despite a request from the sheriff’s lawyer.
Shawn “Mickey” Stines, 44, was charged with murder last fall in the Sept. 19, 2024, fatal shooting of the county’s district judge, Kevin Mullins.
Stines’ lawyer, Jeremy Bartley, previously planned to make a defense of insanity or extreme emotional disturbance. But early last month, Bartley filed to dismiss Stines’ indictment altogether.
The nine-page motion accused prosecutors of intentionally failing to record a proceeding in front of the Letcher County grand jury and depriving the grand jury of information.
In a response filed June 27, prosecutors argued there is no evidence they participated in misconduct or acted in a way that would deprive Stines of a fair trial.
Stines’ primary argument was that prosecutors denied the grand jury from hearing all information, which he said was not fair for his case.
During grand jury proceedings, jurors hear testimony from prosecutors in private to determine if there is enough evidence for the case to proceed.
The proceedings have several key differences from a typical jury trial, and prosecutors argued that Stines’ motion showed a misunderstanding of the two.
For example, hearsay and opinions of witnesses are normally inadmissible during a jury trial, but they are common during grand jury presentations.
Stines’ motion said prosecutors allowed the lead detective, Clayton Stamper, to give misleading statements to the grand jury.
However, prosecutors said no evidence was presented that confirmed those allegations.
A judge has not ruled on the motion, and a hearing has not been set.
