Kentucky sheriff is hit with new charge after executing judge

A former Kentucky sheriff accused of fatally shooting a judge inside his chambers was arraigned Monday on a new criminal charge.

Shawn 'Mickey' Stines, 43, did not speak or show any emotion during the hearing at the Letcher County Courthouse - the same one where he is accused of gunning down Kentucky District Judge Kevin Mullins, 54, in his chambers on September 19, CNN reports.

Instead, his attorney entered a not guilty plea on behalf of his shackled client to a new charge of murder of a public official.

Stines had also previously pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges, for which a grand jury indicted him last week and a special judge appointed to preside over the case said he could face the death penalty.

But on Monday, defense attorney Jeremy Bartley claimed Stines has a 'compelling defense' for the shooting, which he has previously called a crime of passion carried out while Stines was experiencing an 'extreme emotional disturbance.'

He claimed that a deposition his client gave just days prior to the shooting 'is part of that defense,' according to the Louisville Courier-Journal.

The former sheriff, who stepped down from his role following his arrest, was one of several parties sued in federal court in 2022 over allegations that Ben Fields, then a Letcher County deputy sheriff, exchanged favorable treatment to a woman on home incarceration for sexual favors inside Mullins' private courthouse office.

Stines is not accused of taking part in the exchange, for which Fields spent several months in jail, but plaintiffs have argued he failed to property train and supervise the deputy.

He was scheduled to give a deposition on September 16 - just four days before he allegedly waltzed into Mullins' chambers in Whitesburg, spoke with the judge and opened fire eight times.

Bartley noted that the timing of the deposition is 'certainly something that's going to be crucial in this case. 

'I do believe that that is a piece,' he said. 'This is a large story. It's a story that, in some ways, is difficult to tell.

'We look forward to sharing a more complete version of that as we go through this judicial process.'

Police have said Stines walked into the judge's outer office, told court employees he needed to speak to Mullins alone, then proceeded to shoot him once they entered the inner office.

Video of the incident, played in court at Stines' previous hearing in October, showed a man identified by police as Stines pulling out a gun and shooting the judge as he sat at his desk. 

The man walked around the desk, pointed the gun at the judge - who had fallen to the floor - and fired again.

A detective who testified at the hearing also claimed that Stines tried calling his daughter - whose number have been saved on Mullins´ phone - just before the fatal shooting. 

Mullins, who had held the judgeship for 15 years, died at the scene of multiple gunshot wounds, and Stines surrendered without incident. 

He was later seen walking out of the courthouse with his hands raised and surrendering to officers, who placed him in handcuffs. Stines is said to have told the cops to 'treat me fair' as he was arrested.

He also allegedly told police, 'They're trying to kidnap my wife and kid,' the detective testified.

Investigators found no weapon on Mullins or in his chambers, the detective said.

A motive for the shooting remains unclear, especially as DailyMail.com revealed Stines and Mullins were once good friends.

They even shared an outside table at the popular Streetside Grill & Bar on Main Street for lunch only a few hundred yards from the courthouse, just hours before the shooting. 

The pair were lunchtime regulars together at the sports bar and on that fateful Thursday ordered their usual – both having the $13.99 wings with salad.

Stines will now remain behind bars in Leslie County ahead of a potential trial, after a judge denied him bond on Monday - citing concerns with security, community safety and the severity of the charges against him.