Mickey Stines: The murder case against the former Kentucky sheriff accused of killing a judge will be presented in court today

CNN
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The last time he was in a courthouse, he fatally shot a judge, investigators say. On Tuesday, a former Kentucky sheriff will hear evidence against him in another courthouse.

Former Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines, 43, is scheduled to attend his preliminary hearing in person Tuesday afternoon, according to court officials. He appeared remotely at an arraignment hearing last week at the Leslie County Detention Center.

Prosecutors will outline why they believe Stines shot and killed 54-year-old Judge Kevin Mullins in his own quarters last month, just across the street from the sheriff's office.

The hearing is expected to give the public its first glimpse into a possible motive for the murder. After the hearing, a judge will decide whether there is enough evidence to send the case to a grand jury.

Stines pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder at his arraignment. Neither he nor the investigators commented on the details of the allegations against him during the hearing.

Since then, people in Whitesburg – a community of 1,773 residents – have been waiting for details about why investigators believe Stines and Mullins – who were described as friends who had lunch together on the day of the murder – got into an argument that ended The judge is dead.

Tuesday's hearing will be held in West Liberty, Kentucky, nearly 100 miles from the Letcher County Courthouse where Mullins was killed.

The state appointed a special judge to preside over the case because Mullins would normally preside over preliminary hearings for crimes allegedly committed in Letcher County.

The hearing comes a day after Stines officially resigned as sheriff, according to a letter from his attorneys obtained by CNN affiliate WKYT.

Last week, Gov. Andy Beshear said he would begin pushing Stines from office if he doesn't resign.

“The decision was not made as a result of an ultimatum or in any way as a concession to the allegations made by the Commonwealth of Kentucky,” attorneys Jeremy Bartley and Kerri Bartley said in the letter to the governor’s general counsel.

“Rather, Sheriff Stines made this decision to allow a successor to continue to protect his beloved constituents while he deals with the legal proceedings before him.”

Judge Rupert Wilhoit told Stines at his preliminary hearing that he could face the death penalty if convicted of first-degree murder.