Nearly a year since a Kentucky judge was gunned down in his courthouse chambers, the issue of whether bond is justified for the former sheriff charged in the killing remains unsettled as he awaits trial.
A defense attorney on Friday recommended a $50,000 cash or property bond for former Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines, saying he is not a flight risk and poses no danger to himself or the community. 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. Mullins died at the scene, and Stines, who was sheriff at the time, surrendered without incident. Stines has pleaded not guilty to one count of murder of a public official.
On Friday, the judge hearing the case did not rule immediately on whether bond should be set. Both sides were given until Sept. 2 to submit further written arguments on a handful of pending pretrial matters. Circuit Judge Christopher Cohron, serving as special judge in the case, said he would try to expedite his ruling, and said he could start looking at setting a trial date once those initial matters are resolved.
Authorities haven't yet revealed a possible motive for the Sept. 19 shooting that stunned residents of Whitesburg, a tight-knit Appalachian community about 100 miles (146 kilometers) southeast of Lexington, Kentucky, near the Virginia border.
Stines resigned days after the shooting and is being held in an eastern Kentucky jail without bond.
At the hearing Friday in Whitesburg, defense attorney Kerri Bartley said the former sheriff would be “the lowest possible risk level" if he is released on bond pending trial.
“I just don’t think there’s anything to show that he’s a flight risk," she said. "There’s nothing to convince the court that he would be a danger to himself or others.”
Stines has deep roots in the community and considerable family support, Bartley said. “He has a wife and daughter that he can still go home to today,” she said.
In his response, special prosecutor Jackie Steele said: “What he did in the community ... is irrelevant. The only thing that’s relevant is, in fact, the charges themself.”
The prosecutor pointed to a section of the state constitution that says: “All prisoners shall be bailable by sufficient securities, unless for capital offenses when the proof is evident or the presumption great.”
At a prior court hearing, a harrowing video showing the judge being gunned down was revealed. The video, with no audio, showed a man identified by police as Stines pulling out a gun and shooting at the judge, who was seated at his desk. The man walked around the desk, pointed the gun at the judge — who ducked behind the desk for cover — and fired again, it showed.
Stines could potentially face the death penalty for the murder charge, but prosecutors haven't yet filed notice with the court on whether they will seek the death penalty.
Stines and Mullins had known each other for years. On the day of the shooting, they met for lunch with several other people, a Kentucky State Police detective said at a prior hearing. During the lunch, the judge apparently asked Stines if they needed to meet privately, but the reason for the meeting was unclear.
Defense lawyers also have pending motions to unseal the ex-sheriff's psychological evaluation and to dismiss the indictment. The judge will decide whether a hearing is needed to settle the motions.
FILE - Former Letcher County Ky. Sheriff Shawn "Mickey" Stines, accused of killing District Judge Kevin Mullins, looks at a witness during testimony at the Morgan County Courthouse in West Liberty, Ky., Oct. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley, File)
BOSTON (AP) — When Zdeno Chara signed with the Boston Bruins in 2006, the No. 3 he wore early in his career had already been retired by the Original Six franchise.
So he picked No. 33 without giving it much thought.
“Little did I know how meaningful 33 was,” Chara said on Thursday night before his number was raised to the TD Garden rafters not far from where Larry Bird's No. 33 already hangs in Celtics green.
It is the 13th number retired by the Bruins, and the latest in a collection of Hall of Fame defenseman that runs from Eddie Shore to Bobby Orr to Raymond Bourque.
“It's a huge honor,” Chara told reporters. "I can’t explain to you how honored I feel. I’m humbled about being selected to be one of the numbers being retired. Being with that history, forever."
The 2009 Norris Trophy winner and a 2025 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee, Chara spent 14 of his 24 NHL seasons in Boston, leading the Bruins to the 2011 Stanley Cup championship. His 1,680 games is the most of any NHL defenseman; at 6 feet, 9 inches (2.06m), he is the tallest player in league history, and his 108.8 mph (175.1 kmh) slap shot in the 2012 skills competition remains the NHL record.
But his teammates and other Bruins attending Thursday's ceremony said Chara's biggest contribution was signing with a team that hadn't won a playoff series in six years — “the best decision I ever made” — and turning them into champions.
“Things really changed when Zee came here as a free agent,” Bourque said. "From that point on, the culture and everything that comes with that, and the success and the run that they had, he was such a big part of that.
“He’s a legend,” Bourque said. “He really deserves to be up there.”
Bourque was among the former Bruins greats in attendance, along with Orr — both of them, like Chara, Boston defensemen who finished their careers elsewhere on their way to the Hall of Fame. They arrived via gold carpet that led them past adoring fans and the statue of Orr flying through the air following his Cup-winning goal in the 1970 finals.
Other fellow retired number honorees in attendance included Cam Neely, Willie O’Ree, Rick Middleton, Terry O'Reilly and John Bucyk. The current Bruins sat on the bench, all wearing Chara jerseys.
Five members of the 2011 roster — Patrice Bergeron, Mark Recchi, Dennis Seidenberg, David Krejci and Tuukka Rask — carried the retired number onto the ice, and teammate Andrew Ference served as emcee.
In his speech, Chara read the names of every player on the Bruins last Cup winners. Asked why, he said after: “Without championships, you are not going to be successful, you’re not going to be recognized.
"The championships, that’s what they do. They raise everyone, they extend careers for everyone,” he explained. "They create dynasties. They create stories. They create memories. They created what we’re experiencing tonight.
"It’s very simple: Once you win the championship, everything gets so much better for everyone. And the most beautiful thing about it: You create extended families with each other. It’s true. You have bonds, you have friendships that are now still forever. It’s amazing; it’s like you’re seeing your brother. You trust the person; you know everything about them. And anytime anybody needs something, you’re there for them.
“That’s what winning championships do,” he said. “Not just for a career, but for the rest of your lives, it means something very special.”
The ceremony at center ice featured a “Big Zee” ice sculpture flanking the podium and a large No. 33 behind it. Fans were asked to get in their seats two hours early, and the full TD Garden erupted in a giant shout of “Zee!” followed by an extended cheer of “Thank you, Chara!”
A highlight video featured former Bruins Brad Marchand and current coach Marco Sturm, Chara's teammate from 2006-10. Many of them spoke of the way Chara led by example.
“He wasn’t really a ‘Rah, rah!’ guy,” former Bruins forward and current team president Neely said, “but when he spoke, it was with a purpose.”
And so, when it was time to raise his No. 33 to the rafters, Chara stood by with his wife, Tatiana, while their children — Zack, Ben and Elliz — pulled the ropes.
“That’s the biggest reward for me: To see my children and my family doing it instead of me. I think I get better joy watching them doing it than the joy of me doing it because it's so much more meaningful,” he explained. "They deserve that more than me."
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Former Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara speaks during his number retirement ceremony before an NHL hockey game between the Boston Bruins and the Seattle Kraken Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
Former Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara leads his family over to his number "33" to raise it to the rafters before an NHL hockey game between the Boston Bruins and the Seattle Kraken, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
Former Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara, center, waves to the crowd during his number retirement ceremony, as Bruins' players with their number already retired, from left, Willie O'Ree, Rick Middleton, Terrry O'Reilly, Cam Neely, emcee Andrew Ferrance and Bobby Orr look on before an NHL hockey game between the Boston Bruins and the Seattle Kraken, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
Former Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara's number "33" is raised to the rafters at TD Garden before an NHL hockey game between the Boston Bruins and the Seattle Kraken Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
Bobby Orr applauds, left bottom, as former Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara waves to the crowd during his number retirement ceremony before an NHL hockey game between the Boston Bruins and the Seattle Kraken, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
