Kentucky sheriff accused of fatally shooting a judge in his chambers is set for arraignment today
CNN
The Kentucky sheriff who authorities say shot and killed a prominent district judge in his chambers after an argument between the two men last week is set to be arraigned in the case Wednesday.
The Kentucky sheriff who authorities say shot and killed a prominent district judge in his chambers after an argument between the two men last week is set to be arraigned in the case Wednesday. Letcher County Sheriff Shawn M. Stines, 43, was arrested at the county courthouse in Whitesburg Thursday on suspicion of fatally shooting District Judge Kevin Mullins, 54, in Mullins’ chambers. Stines, who authorities say turned himself in after the shooting, will be appear by video from the Leslie County jail – where he’s being held, a couple counties west of where he was sheriff and the judge was killed – during Wednesday morning’s arraignment. The hearing itself will be conducted by a judge in a Carter County courthouse, about 100 miles from the crime scene, according to court officials, with the Letcher County courthouse having been closed for days because of the killing. Stines’ job made him responsible for security at county courthouses, including the personal security of judges, according to the Kentucky Sheriff’s Association. He’s now facing a first-degree murder charge, and it’s unclear who will take his place as sheriff. The tragedy has deeply shaken the small, tightly knit community of Letcher County, as residents grapple with unanswered questions about what led to the argument between two high-profile elected officials in a case that has sent shockwaves through the area. What transpired in the judge’s chambers moments before the fatal shooting that afternoon is still being investigated, authorities said. Other people were in the building when the judge was shot but no one else was inside his chambers, Kentucky State Police Trooper Matt Gayheart has said.

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