(WKYT) – The former Letcher County sheriff accused of murdering District Judge Kevin Mullins has filed an appeal to a higher court.
Shawn “Mickey” Stines’ attorneys filed a petition with the Kentucky Court of Appeals to block a second court-ordered mental health exam. He was previously evaluated at the Kentucky Correctional Psychiatric Center.
The commonwealth wants the new exam to be administered by a doctor from Indiana.
However, the defense argues that the prosecution is unhappy with its experts’ opinion and has not show a “good cause” for the second exam. It calls the order a unnecessary intrustion on Stines’ Fifth Amendment rights.
The petition also asks the appeals court to cancel the Oct. 14 exam or limit the state from using the existing KCPC report.