Attorney for former Letcher sheriff accused of murdering judge wants trial to be held in Letcher County

The attorney for the former Letcher County sheriff accused of killing a district judge last month said he’d like the case to be tried in Letcher County. Jeremy Bartley said despite the fact that then-Sheriff Mickey Stines and Judge Kevin Mullins were known by many in a county with a population of 20,000, the trial should be held there.

“It's our feeling that this case should be heard amongst a jury of our client’s peers. And his peers are the same people that elected him, and they are the people of Letcher County.”

Bartley said the fact that Stines’ preliminary hearing was held in Morgan County has no bearing on the venue for the trial.

“There's this presumption that, because we had a special judge appointed for the hearing, and we held that hearing in another county, that this case is already somehow taken out of the Letcher County system. It's not.”

Bartley said the case will be presented to a Letcher County grand jury and a chief regional judge will select the judge for Stines’ trial.

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