Sheriff accused of killing a judge in his courtroom pleads not guilty

WHITESBURG, Ky. (WKYT/Gray News) – A sheriff facing murder charges in connection with the death of a Kentucky judge was arraigned Wednesday morning.

Letcher County Sheriff Mickey Stines entered a not guilty plea during a virtual court appearance at the Leslie County Jail in Hyden.

Stines faces murder charges for shooting District Judge Kevin Mullins last week.

The judge presiding over Stines' arraignment is actually a district judge for Carter, Elliot and Morgan counties. For context, defendants usually appear before the judge of their district, but in Stines' case, that was Judge Mullins, the man he is accused of killing.

Much of Wednesday's arraignment centered on whether Stines is entitled to a public defender. Stines said he has neither hired an attorney nor spoken to anyone about taking on his case.

In such a case, legal fees could amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars. The judge has approved a public defender for the time being.

The judge said if the case goes to district court, Stines may have to hire his own attorney.

A preliminary hearing was set for Tuesday, Oct. 1, at 1 p.m. at the Morgan County Judicial Center in West Liberty. The judge said the Kentucky State Police will be responsible for transporting Stines to the hearing.

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