The lawyer for former Letcher County Sheriff Mickey Stines says if he is called to testify in a lawsuit against a former Letcher court security officer, Stines will invoke the Fifth Amendment and not give testimony that could incriminate him in his pending murder trial.
Stines is currently jailed awaiting trial for the shooting death of Letcher Circuit Judge Kevin Mullins.
Stines’ former deputy, Ben Fields, is being sued by women in relation to his conviction on sexual abuse charges.
Stines’ attorney has previously said they plan to claim Stines was suffering from “extreme emotional disturbance” at the time of the shooting which was within days of giving a deposition in the Fields lawsuit.
The Mountain Eagle reports Stines’ attorney says the facts of the lawsuit are “inextricably intertwined” with the facts of the criminal case and compelling him to appear creates “undue prejudice.”
The attorney in the lawsuit calls it “ludicrous” that Stines should not have to answer questions about which he has already given a deposition.