LETCHER COUNTY, Ky. (WJHL) — The former Letcher County sheriff accused of killing a district judge in his chambers in September appeared in front of a packed courtroom on Monday.
Shawn Mickey Stines was indicted on Nov. 21 on a new charge of murder of a public official in the death of district judge Kevin Mullins.
He was arraigned in person on the new charge at noon on Monday. News Channel 11 livestreamed the court appearance live on WJHL.com. The entire arraignment can be viewed above.
Retired Judge Julia H. Adams presided over the arraignment.
Stines entered a not-guilty plea on Monday for the murder of a public official. Adams said after “significant consideration,” she would not admit Stines a bond as of Monday.
Stines’ attorneys said they hoped to later file for an adversarial bond, to which Adams told them they had every right to do.
Stines was arrested after Mullins was fatally shot inside the Letcher County courthouse on Sept. 19. At the time, Stines was charged with first-degree murder.
Stines pleaded not guilty to the first-degree murder charge on Sept. 25.
Stines retired from his position as sheriff at the end of September. Before announcing he would retire, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and Kentucky General Counsel S. Travis Mayo sent Stines a letter formally asking that he resign.
