Former Letcher County sheriff pleads not guilty for killing judge

A former Kentucky sheriff charged in a judge’s shooting death has pleaded not guilty. Former Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines entered the plea Monday in the same Whitesburg courthouse where prosecutors say he killed District Judge Kevin Mullins in September.

A grand jury indicted Stines last week on one count of murder of a public official. If convicted, Stines could face the death penalty. The judge presiding over the case declined to set a bond amount for Stines on Monday, so he'll remain jailed in another county.

She cited “community safety concerns” and the severity of the charge as the reasons for not setting a bond. Police have not disclosed a possible motive for the attack.