WHITESBURG, Ky. — Prosecutors have filed a motion asking that a former Letcher County sheriff’s murder trial be held somewhere other than Letcher County or any of its surrounding counties.

Shawn Mickey Stines, 44, of McRoberts, is charged with murder for shooting and killing District Judge Kevin Mullins last September.

In their motion, prosecutors argue that it would be impossible to have a fair trial in Letcher County, as both Stines and Mullins were elected officials.

“Every eligible voter in Letcher County either had a reason to vote for or against the defendant and victim at one time,” the motion says. “The preconceived opinions as to the character and ability of these two men is likely to irreconcilably prejudice both the Commonwealth and the defendant if this trial takes place in Letcher County.”

In addition, the motion says the amount of pretrial publicity the case has received has also had an effect.

“Eastern Kentucky as a whole has been permeated with developments in this awaited trial to an extent that opinions as to the defendant’s guilt and what punishment he should receive have been recorded and solicited across numerous social media platforms,” the motion says. “Within the comment sections of news articles regarding this case, residents of Letcher County and other surrounding counties have indicated that they have some relation or personal connection to either the victim or the defendant. The pre-trial and ongoing publicity surrounding this case has aroused the public, specifically in the Eastern Kentucky area, in a way in which a fair and impartial trial held in the counties surrounding Letcher County would be unlikely.”

As evidence, prosecutors included 53 pages of news articles from local and national sources, as well as their comment sections.

The judge will need to rule on the request, after defense attorneys have a chance to respond.

A full copy of the motion follows: