Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear’s general counsel has ordered the sheriff accused of shooting dead a judge in his chambers to resign by the end of the week or face impeachment proceedings.
In a letter Wednesday, S. Travis Mayo told Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines that if he did not submit his resignation to the Letcher County Judge/Executive by Friday evening, he would proceed to Stines’ removal under state law. which allows governors to fire peace officers for negligence.
Stines, who has pleaded not guilty to a first-degree murder charge in connection with the Sept. 19 shooting of District Judge Kevin Mullins, has 20 days to prepare his defense, according to the law.
Mullins, 54, was shot multiple times and pronounced dead at the scene. Stines, 43, surrendered to authorities at the courthouse without incident.
The Letcher County Sheriff’s Office could not be reached for comment Thursday. An attorney representing Stines in a 2022 federal civil case accusing him of failing to adequately train and supervise a deputy accused of abuse did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Letcher County Judge/Executive Terry Adams did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A Kentucky State Police spokesperson said the shooting at the Letcher County Courthouse occurred after an argument inside the building. Authorities have not revealed a possible motive.
Three days before the shooting, Stines was deposed for nearly four hours in the federal lawsuit, which alleges the deputy abused a woman at Mullins’ apartments, according to the victim’s attorney.
A filing by Stines’ attorney argued that Stines was protected from prosecution over the allegations because of his position as an elected official and law enforcement officer.
When asked if state police were investigating a potential connection between the chase and the shooting, an agency spokesman, Matt Gayheart, said “nothing is ruled out as a possible motive for this stadium”.
Jonathan Shaw, the attorney representing Stines in the lawsuit, said he knew nothing about the shooting other than what was reported in the media.
“I hope that with time we will understand more clearly the circumstances that led to Judge Mullins’ death,” Shaw said in an email.
