Prosecutor asks for murder trial of former Letcher County sheriff to be moved

Former Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines is accused of shooting Letcher County District Judge Kevin Mullins to death in the judge’s chambers last September. Now, special prosecutor Jackie Steele has asked the special judge for a change of venue. In a motion, Steele included multiple articles and social media posts about the shooting and said the pre-trial publicity, including video of the shooting, could be prejudicial. He also noted that Letcher County jurors would consist of people who’d had reason to vote for or against both men in past elections. Stines’ attorney, Jeremy Bartley, has publicly called for the case to be held in Letcher County.