Funeral service for Kentucky judge allegedly shot by sheriff in courtroom

JENKINS, Kentucky – A Kentucky judge who authorities say was shot and killed by a sheriff last week was remembered Sunday as a pioneer in the fight against opioid addiction who chose treatment for minor drug offenses over prison time.

Hundreds of mourners, including a procession of black-clad judges, streamed into the Jenkins High School auditorium to pay their last respects to 54-year-old District Judge Kevin R. Mullins.

Letcher County Sheriff Shawn M. Stines is accused of shooting Mullins multiple times in the judge’s chambers Thursday afternoon. Stines has been charged with murder and is expected to make his first court appearance this week.

Authorities are currently investigating the motive. Kentucky police said the shooting appeared to have been the result of an argument.

There was a strong police presence at the service on Sunday.

Several judges from across the state spoke at the funeral, sharing their personal experiences and praising Mullins as a leader in the fight against opioid addiction and in supporting the mental health needs of people facing trial.

“His passion for people was his magic touch. He can’t count the number of lives he saved or improved,” said state Supreme Court Justice Debra Lambert, who served alongside Mullins on the state’s Judicial Mental Health Commission. “Our family mourns his loss.”

Family members did not speak during the funeral. From her wheelchair, Patsy Holbrook Mullins hugged or shook mourners as they approached her son’s brown open casket, which was decorated with a bouquet of yellow flowers.

She later told NBC News that she was moved by the service and the support of the congregation.

“I’m very humbled by the level of support and the community’s support for the mission that he wanted so much,” she said. “He wanted to change the opioid epidemic. That was his passion.”

District Judge J. Foster Cotthoff told the crowd of about 500 that Mullins had “worked tirelessly” and that he was a state pioneer and innovator in opioid treatment.

“He saw the good in people, even when they didn’t see it themselves,” said Cotthoff.

According to a version of his obituary printed in the service program, Mullins was an advocate of rehabilitation rather than prison for some offenders.

“From the beginning of his tenure as a judge, Kevin was aware that incarceration alone was not enough to combat the opioid epidemic in the Commonwealth,” it said.

Mullins “pioneered a local protocol aimed at connecting people with treatment services early in their relationship with the justice system, bringing about a fundamental shift in the way the justice system can support recovery,” the obituary said.

The protocol has been recognized nationwide, it was said.

Mullins also played a role in reshaping Kentucky courts’ approach to mental health.

Matt Brown, president of Addiction Recovery Care of Kentucky, said Sunday that he would send minor drug offenders who enter Mullins’ courtroom to rehab rather than jail.

“He was an innovator,” Brown said. “He was way ahead of his time.”

Mullins was born in Pikeville, Kentucky, in 1970. He began his career after graduating from the University of Kentucky with a degree in political science and later earned a law degree from the University of Louisville, according to his obituary.

He was first appointed to a judicial vacancy in 2009 and served as a district judge for 14 years, the obituary said.

During the service, District Judge James Craft told a story about a trip he and Mullins took to New York City years ago.

Craft said Mullins, whom he described as a foodie, had reserved tables at fancy restaurants for the entire trip but canceled them on the last night because he wanted to try a cheeseburger.

“Kevin was many things to many people, but to me he was my friend,” Craft said.

In addition to his mother, Mullins leaves behind his wife Kimberly, his daughters Mya and Ava, his sister, three nephews and a niece.