Nearly a year since a Kentucky judge was gunned down in his chambers, the issue of whether bond is justified for the ex-sheriff charged in the killing remains unsettled as he awaits trial. A defense attorney on Friday recommended a $50,000 bond for former Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines. A prosecutor responded that Stines is not entitled to a bond, citing a section of Kentucky’s constitution that says the right to bail doesn’t apply to people charged with a capital offense. Stines has been jailed since last September, when District Judge Kevin Mullins was fatally shot at the courthouse in Whitesburg, Kentucky.
