The shooting death of Eastern Kentucky District Judge Kevin Mullins in his own courtroom highlights the escalating violence against the judiciary, with threats of violence against judges having more than doubled since 2019, according to one legal group.
Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines is accused of shooting Mullins, 54, multiple times after an altercation at the courthouse. Mullins died at the scene and Stines was charged with first-degree murder.
Credible threats of harm against judges have soared from 175 in 2019 to 500 in 2023, according to the American Bar Association.
“Judges are facing increasing numbers of threats. When defendants are unhappy with their sentences, violence has become the norm rather than the exception. Most jurisdictions are ill-prepared to deal with these growing threats,” said Belvin Perry, former chief judge of Florida's 9th Judicial District, who received numerous death threats during his time as presiding judge in Casey Anthony's case and throughout his career.
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Authorities said Thursday that District Judge Kevin Mullins, 54, was killed in the judge's chambers by Letcher County Sheriff Shawn M. Stines, 43. (Kentucky State Court, Letcher County Sheriff's Office)
“Security at each courthouse will be doing home inspections to make sure your home is safe. They will instruct you to have a plan in place for your family in case something happens. These are realities that judges have to face every day,” Perry said.
“I once had a 24-hour guard at my home because of death threats. I had a highly trained German shepherd so my family could be with me when I was away. My wife had to take shooting classes.”
Left: Judge Belvin Perry enters the courtroom before defendant Casey Anthony during his murder trial at the Orange County Courthouse in Orlando, Fla., Thursday, June 16, 2011. Top right: Letcher County Sheriff Shawn Steins. Bottom right: Letcher County Courthouse. (Red Huber/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images, Leslie County Jail via The Associated Press, Google Maps)
Three days before Mullins was shot, Stines testified in a lawsuit filed by two women who accused the sheriff of “deliberate indifference and failure to provide proper training and supervision” to Deputy Ben Fields, who pleaded guilty to raping a female inmate while on house arrest.
The women allege that Fields repeatedly sexually abused them in Mullins' bedroom.
It is unclear whether the altercation before the shooting was related to the lawsuit, but if it was, it would not be the first time a judge has come under fire over a lawsuit.
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Last year, Maryland Circuit Judge Andrew Wilkerson was murdered in the driveway of his home after ruling in a child custody case.
New Jersey federal judge Esther Salas created the Daniel Anderle Protection Project after her 20-year-old son was shot and killed in a racially motivated attack in 2020. A gunman disguised as a delivery driver killed Daniel Anderle and severely injured Salas' husband, Mark Anderle.
“In my opinion, every state and locality in the United States should have laws that protect judges and laws aimed at judicial security,” Esther Salas previously told Fox News Digital. “While there are some states, like New Jersey, that have squarely addressed judicial security, my hope and prayer is that states will follow New Jersey's example and follow federal law by enacting and enforcing their own laws that directly target the judiciary.”
In June, the U.S. Senate passed the bipartisan Combating Threats and Attacks on Judges Act, which provides federal funding for security for state and local judges.
“Unfortunately, growing polarization and partisanship, combined with increased threats and attacks against judges, put the independence of our judiciary at risk,” Sen. Chris Coons, D-Delaware, one of the bill's sponsors, said in a statement.
Democrats fully condemn death threats against the Supreme Court, which they have repeatedly denounced.
New Jersey federal judge Esther Salas shot and killed her 20-year-old son in a racially motivated attack in 2020. (Fox News)
Perry told Fox News Digital that while violence against the judiciary is on the rise, it is not a new phenomenon.
In 1984, Perry narrowly escaped a gunman at the Orange County, Florida, courthouse.
The gunman, Thomas Provenzano, shot and killed 60-year-old Deputy Sheriff William Arnold Wilkerson, left Deputy Harry Dalton with brain damage and injuries that led to his premature death several years later, and left Officer Mark Lindsay Parker permanently paralyzed.
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According to the Officer Down memorial page, Provenzano was charged with disorderly conduct five months ago and planned to shoot the officers who charged him. He was executed by electric chair in June 2020.
Perry said he happened to come out of the hallway where Provenzano had fired shots just before gunfire rang out.
“Unfortunately, we know that violence is an ever-present factor in the lives of judges,” Perry said.
Combating the issue is a “million-dollar problem,” but it could be solved by beefing up security at the courthouse, he said.
“It's tragic that a Kentucky judge was murdered when there was a security system in place and it was the sheriff who was in charge of security,” Perry said.
