The attorney for the former Letcher County sheriff accused of murdering District Judge Kevin Mullins has filed paperwork indicating he’ll pursue insanity and extreme emotional disturbance defenses. Mickey Stines is accused of shooting Mullins to death last September. Ernie Lewis is a longtime public defender and former state public advocate who read the court filing.
“He apparently has an expert that's going to be supportive of an insanity defense. The defendant would be sent off to probably the Kentucky Psychiatric Center.”
That’s at the Kentucky State Reformatory in La Grange. Lewis said each defense could impact the trial and sentencing.
“The extreme emotional disturbance would lower the homicide or the murder allegation, down to first degree manslaughter. So that would lower the range of penalties from 20 to life or death, down to 10 to 20 years.”
Defense attorney Jeremy Bartley’s request does not raise the issue of whether Stines is competent to stand trial. Lewis says that could come later.
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