(NewsNation) — A longtime choose in a rural county courtroom that offers with principally minor crimes, Kevin Mullins was killed by the sheriff of the county they each served, in line with the Kentucky State Police.
Here’s what we all know.
What was Mullins’ background?
Kevin R. Mullins, 54, had been a District Choose in Letcher County, Ky., for 15 years. Earlier than that, he was a prosecutor in Letcher County, beginning in 2001. The official title is assistant commonwealth’s legal professional.
He was a graduate of the College of Kentucky and the Louis D. Brandeis College of Regulation on the College of Louisville.
As a district choose of the forty seventh Judicial District, Mullins dealt with juvenile circumstances, misdemeanors, points involving metropolis and county ordinances, visitors offenses, probate of wills, arraignments, small claims, civil circumstances concerned $5,000 or much less, psychological commitments and circumstances involving home violence.
How was Mullins killed?
Stines allegedly walked into the choose’s outer workplace, then instructed court docket staff and others gathered there that he wanted to talk with Mullins alone, in line with The Mountain Eagle.
Shortly after the 2 walked into the choose’s chambers, pictures had been heard. Then Stines walked out along with his palms up and surrendered to cops.
State police say measures had been made to aim to save lots of Mullins’ life however none had been profitable. No different accidents had been reported, in line with NewsNation affiliate WJHL.
Who’s Mickey Stines?
Shawn M. “Mickey” Stines, 43, the sheriff in Letcher County, was first elected in 2018, then reelected in 2022. His division was hit with a scandal in 2022 when a former deputy, Ben Fields, pleaded responsible to raping two girls who had been on dwelling arrest, in line with The Mountain Eagle.
In a pending civil swimsuit in opposition to the previous deputy, the house monitoring service that employed him and Sheriff Stines, the ladies say that Stines didn’t sufficiently prepare and supervise Fields. In August, Fields was sentenced to serve six months in the identical jail the place he used to work.
The choose in that case was not Mullins, however somewhat a choose from close by Pike County.
When did Mullins develop into a choose?
Mullins was appointed in 2009 by then-Gov. Steve Beshear (D-Ky.) and was elected in his personal proper a 12 months later, in line with The Mountain Eagle. He has been reelected ever since.
Mullins’ dying was confirmed by the present governor, Andy Beshear, son of Steve Beshear.
Beshear posted on social platform X that there’s “far too much violence in this world, and I pray there is a path to a better tomorrow.”
The place did Kevin Mullins die?
Letcher County, Ky., is deep within the hills of the japanese nook of the state, bordering Virginia and sandwiched between Tennessee and West Virginia. It has a inhabitants of round 21,000.
The county seat is Whitesburg, which has a inhabitants of fewer than 2,000.
