FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear confirmed he sent a letter to Letcher County Sheriff Shawn "Mickey" Stines asking him to resign after Stines allegedly fatally shooting Letcher County District Judge Kevin Mullins on Sept. 19
During a weekly Team Kentucky news conference, Beshear was asked about the letter and confirmed his office sent it out on Wednesday.
"Every Kentucky county needs and active and a working sheriff," he said. "One of the most important roles of state government is to provide safety to our people and right now Letcher County doesn't have an active and a working sheriff."
He said regardless of the outcome of the criminal case involving Stines, he cannot currently work as sheriff. Beshear says his team wants the community gets a sheriff as quickly as possible.
The quickest way to get Letcher County a new sheriff is if Stines resigns. The deadline for Stines to put in his resignation is Friday.
If Stines does not resign, the governor can begin a removal process.
"We've never done it before during my administration," Beshear said. "It's not been done I think in at least several decades."
He said if they have to go through the removal process, it could take up to six months.
"That doesn't comment on the ultimate charges that will be decided through a criminal court, it just says that Letcher County needs a sheriff and it needs one as soon as possible," Beshear said.
All-in-all, appointing a new sheriff would fall to a county judge, not Beshear.
"My hope is by tomorrow we will receive a resignation and can move forward," Beshear said.
Replacing the district judge may be a harder process.
"The challenge here in this one, and we need to get it right, is that it's a small community. Because it's a small community this has torn at the very heart of the community," Beshear said. "It hurts and you can see and feel the trauma of people I know well."
He says getting this community a new district judge is of top priority.
Mullins, 54, who held the judgeship since 2009, was hit multiple times during the shooting and died at the scene. Stines, 43, surrendered without incident.
The fatal shooting in Whitesburg sent shock waves through the tight-knit Appalachian town and county seat of government with about 1,700 residents. Whitesburg is located about 145 miles southeast of Lexington.
The Letcher County courthouse remains closed and is still considered a crime scene.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Matt Butler, who was Mullins' brother-in-law, recused himself from the case. Attorney General Russell Coleman's office is trying the case.