A dramatic legal battle is unfolding in Kentucky as the defense for a former sheriff accused of murdering a judge in his own chambers moves to have the indictment thrown out, alleging prosecutorial misconduct before the grand jury. This bombshell development comes amidst a backdrop of a sordid alleged “sex-for-favors” scheme within the courthouse and a rare request from prosecutors to move the trial, fearing a biased jury.
Mickey Stein, the former Lecher County Sheriff, faces a murder charge for the fatal shooting of his longtime friend, Judge Kevin Mullins, nearly one year ago. The killing, captured on the judge’s own chamber surveillance system, is not in dispute. The central question is Stein’s state of mind and legal culpability at the time of the shooting. Defense attorney Jeremy Bartley has filed a motion to dismiss the murder indictment, accusing lead detective Clayton Stamper of misleading the grand jury about Stein’s mental health. According to a defense brief obtained by media, Stamper testified the investigation showed Stein was “in his sane mind,” despite knowing Stein had been diagnosed with an “acute stress reaction” by his doctor the day before the shooting.
The brief further alleges the detective failed to inform grand jurors of multiple mental health evaluations conducted after Stein’s arrest, which noted observations of “active psychosis” and that Stein had been administered antipsychotic medication in jail. A grand juror directly asked about records of psychosis or mental health issues, but, the defense claims, the full picture was not provided.
“The Commonwealth and its witness did not disclose that the same records from the day before the shooting… his doctor diagnosed an acute stress reaction,” Bartley wrote. Prosecutors have countered that grand jury proceedings are investigatory and they have no obligation to present exculpatory evidence at that stage, arguing these are matters for trial. Simultaneously, the prosecution has taken the unusual step of requesting a change of venue out of Lecher County. They argue pervasive media coverage and local rumors about the victim have created an environment where neither side can receive a fair trial. This move underscores the toxic and complex atmosphere surrounding the case.
That atmosphere is fueled by a civil lawsuit involving a former deputy convicted of coercive sex with a probationer in Judge Mullins’s chambers. Defense claims suggest the judge was involved in or aware of a scheme trading judicial favors for sex, and that Stein’s paranoia about threats to his family was linked to this deposition testimony.
Newly released body camera footage from Stein’s arrest reveals his profound paranoia and erratic state. He repeatedly insists on being taken to the jail for safety, refuses to speak anywhere he believes is not on camera, and is seen pleading with officers he has known for decades. “Look, it is recording,” an officer assures him, highlighting Stein’s intense fear of being off-record. Legal analysts note the defense’s dismissal motion is a long-shot but strategic effort to undermine the prosecution’s case early. “They have to show that there is a willful lie here, something intentional, a deception before the grand jury,” said former prosecutor Dave Aronberg. He believes the video evidence makes a conviction likely, but the case is “combustible.”
The defense strategy appears squarely aimed at reducing the charge from murder to manslaughter by proving Stein acted under an “extreme emotional disturbance.” However, the graphic surveillance video of the shooting presents a formidable challenge, showing Stein pursuing the judge as he tried to flee.
The judge has not yet ruled on either the motion to dismiss or the change of venue request. With no trial date set, the proceedings remain in a tense holding pattern. The outcome of these pretrial motions will significantly shape a case that has already exposed alleged corruption, mental health crises, and a shocking act of violence within the heart of a local justice system.
