The parents of the Oxford High School shooter plan to appeal their convictions after an Oakland County judge refused their requests for new trials, setting the case on a path that could lead to the Michigan Supreme Court.
James and Jennifer Crumbley are challenging their involuntary manslaughter convictions on the grounds that the prosecution never revealed agreements made with key witnesses.
Oakland County Circuit Judge Cheryl Matthews ruled earlier this week that the Crumbleys were not denied fair trails, despite prosecution agreements with witnesses that were not revealed to the defense.
“The Oakland County court described it as ‘disturbing,’ but, of course, it wasn’t disturbing enough for the court to actually do anything about it,” said Michael Deszi, the attorney for Jennifer Crumbley. “I don’t believe that the Court of Appeals and/or the Michigan Supreme Court is going to tolerate the type of unethical misconduct committed by the Oakland County prosecutor in this case.”
Deszi told Michigan Public Radio that he will also file a motion to have his client freed on bond while the case is appealed.
Alona Sharon, the attorney for James Crumbley, also expects the cases will eventually land before the state’s highest court.
“If we are not successful, if we don’t prevail in the Court of Appeals, we would then appeal to the Michigan Supreme Court,” she said. “I assume that whatever party does not prevail in the Court of Appeals would then file an application for leave to appeal in the Supreme Court.”
The Crumbley parents argued in separate trials that they could not have known their 15-year-old son would commit a mass shooting with a gun purchased for him as a Christmas gift. Their trial was the first known example of parents of the murderer being charged with culpability for a school mass shooting.
Four students died and seven people were injured in the Nov. 30, 2021, shootings at the high school in suburban Detroit.
Ethan Crumbley is serving a life-without-parole sentence after being charged as an adult and pleading guilty to 24 crimes including murder and terrorism.
Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald told Michigan Public Radio that she expects the convictions will be upheld. She said allegations that there were secret witness deals are false.
“The facts are the facts and the jury heard all the facts,” she said. “Any effort to make James or Jennifer Crumbley, to portray them as victims is offensive to the victims, and it’s contrary to what happened because great lengths were taken by the courts, by the prosecutors, by their attorneys to make sure they had a fair trial.”
McDonald also said that, while the Crumbleys have the right to appeal, the proceedings will prolong the anguish of families and survivors of the shootings.
