WHITESBURG, Ky. — Nearly a year since a Kentucky judge was gunned down in his courthouse chambers, the issue of whether bond is justified for the former sheriff charged in the killing remains unsettled as he awaits trial.

A defense attorney recommended a $50,000 cash or property bond for former Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines, saying he is not a flight risk and poses no danger to himself or the community. A prosecutor responded Stines is not entitled to a bond, citing a section of Kentucky’s constitution that says the right to bail doesn’t apply to people charged with a capital offense.

Stines has been jailed since last September, when District Judge Kevin Mullins was fatally shot at the courthouse in Whitesburg, Kentucky. Mullins died at the scene, and Stines, who was she

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