Oakland County judge hears arguments on James Crumbley's request for new trial
Crumbley, the father of the Oxford High School shooting,
filed a motion in February
, claiming that he did not receive a fair trial in the Nov. 30, 2021, mass shooting that killed four people and injured seven others. Defense attorney Alona Sharon alluded to alleged secret agreements made by prosecutors with two school officials, former Dean of Students
Nicholas Ejak
and school counselor
Shawn Hopkins
.
Crumbley was not in court on Friday, but Sharon accused the prosecution of misconduct "that robbed him of meaningful cross-examination and a chance to expose to the jury the biases of Hopkins and Ejak." However, Oakland County Assistant Prosecutor Marc Keast argued that the school officials were not promised immunity and prosecutors were not obligated to send the agreements to Crumbley's team.
Crumbley's appeal also questioned why his son, Ethan Crumbley, was not ordered to testify in his trial despite the teen invoking his Fifth Amendment Right. The motion accused the court of not further examining whether the teen's reason for not testifying was justified.
On Friday, Matthews ultimately called for more time to deliberate before making a final decision. The judge says he will have a ruling in a month.
The back-and-forth about the proffer agreements with Hopkins and Ejak remains at the forefront not only for James Crumbley but also for his wife, Jennifer Crumbley, who appealed her case and
requested that Prosecutor Karen McDonald be removed from it
.
In her response to James Crumbley's motion, McDonald said the agreements "were created at the request of their counsel, and provided assurance to counsel that the statements made during the interview would not be used against the witnesses later."
"Nowhere in the proffer agreements is there a 'plea agreement, grant immunity, or other agreement for testimony in connection with the case,'" McDonald
wrote in her response earlier this week
.
James and Jennifer Crumbley were each charged and convicted of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the Nov. 30, 2021, deadly shooting at Oxford High School. The couple's son was sentenced to life in prison for the shooting.
The Crumbleys made history as the first parents to be convicted for a mass shooting committed by their children. They were given separate trials that included testimonies from school officials, law enforcement and other witnesses.
During the trials, the prosecution argued that the parents should be held partially responsible for the students' deaths because they ignored signs of their son's mental health needs and purchased the gun that was used in the shooting. The shooter was 15 years old at the time of the shooting.
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24-06-2025
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Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald announces bid for Michigan attorney general
Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald, who is known for handling the deadly Oxford High School shooting, announced on Tuesday that she will run for the Michigan Attorney General's office. McDonald said her focus is to "put Michiganders' needs first and do what it takes to protect our freedoms and keep our communities safe." "As the people's lawyer, the attorney general represents everyone across Michigan, from our children and our most vulnerable, to business owners, to seniors, every single one of us. The attorney general protects our freedoms, upholds the law and keeps our communities safe," McDonald said in a video. McDonald was first elected in 2020 and then reelected in the 2024 election. During her first term, she handled the shooting at Oxford High School on Nov. 30, 2021. Four people were killed and seven others, including a teacher, were injured. The shooter, Ethan Crumbley, pleaded guilty to multiple charges and was sentenced to life in prison in December 2023. He was a 15-year-old student at Oxford at the time. His parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, were each charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter. Each parent was found guilty and was recently sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison. In recent months, both parents filed appeals, claiming that they didn't receive a fair trial and that the prosecutor's office entered secret deals with two school officials who testified. However, an Oakland County judge denied the request for a retrial in June 2025. The case made history as the Crumbleys were the first parents to be convicted for a mass shooting committed by their children. Before she was elected prosecutor, McDonald served as a judge on the Oakland County Circuit Court, specializing in family issues such as divorce, custody, child abuse and neglect, and adoption. She also worked as an English teacher before going to law school. McDonald's sister, Kristen McDonald Rivet, was elected in 2024 to Michigan's 8th Congressional District. McDonald joins a growing list of candidates running for the seat. Former U.S. Prosecutor Mark Totten and Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit announced they were running as a Democrat. Meanwhile, attorney Kevin Kijewski announced his GOP bid for the seat. The seat is currently held by Dana Nessel, who is finishing her second term and is unable to run again due to term limits. Nessel did not announce if she is running for any local, state or federal elections.
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Yahoo
Prosecutor: Jennifer Crumbley is a greater flight risk now more than ever
The Oakland County Prosecutor's Office is imploring the Michigan Court of Appeals to keep the mother of the Oxford High School shooter locked up, maintaining she is a greater flight risk now, more than ever. In a June 20 filing with the appeals court, the prosecution argues that Jennifer Crumbley cannot be trusted to be free, especially at this stage of the game when she has already been convicted and sentenced, and the "presumption of innocence no longer applies." Crumbley was convicted and sentenced last year to 10-15 years in prison for the deaths of four students murdered by her son in the Nov. 30, 2021, mass shooting at Oxford High School. Letting her out now, the prosecution argues, is too risky, especially given her actions in the days following the shooting. Prosecutors allege the shooter's parents fled their home and hid from authorities in a building in Detroit to avoid prosecution over their actions, and inactions. "(Crumbley) has been a flight risk from the moment she was charged," Assistant Oakland County Prosecutor Joseph Shada writes in a June 20 filing with the court of appeals, alleging Crumbley "presents a greater flight risk" now, more "than ever." According to the prosecution, in the days after the shooting, Jennifer and James Crumbley, the shooter's parents, hid out in an art studio in a commercial building in Detroit, where they were discovered by police following a massive manhunt. "(The parents) liquated their assets, emptied their son's bank account, abandoned a vehicle, bought burner phones, and traveled 30 to 40 miles to hide in a commercial building in Detroit," Shada writes, adding the couple also tried to hide the license plate when they parked their car outside the building they were hiding in. According to trial testimony, a 911 tipster spotted the couple's car and called authorities. "Despite the overwhelming police presence, the mass of flashing lights, and the sound of doors being broken down, the defendants did not surrender themselves, but pretended to be asleep," Shada writes. "Their deceit was laid bare when text messages from defendants came to light showing that they suspected they had been found and were 'laying low.' " Flight risk allegations aside, the prosecution also argues that Crumbley's appeal has no merit. "A jury unanimously found that defendant was grossly negligent, and her gross negligence was a cause of the four deaths in the Oxford High School shooting. She was properly convicted of four counts of involuntary manslaughter," Shada writes, adding her "request for bond pending appeal should be denied." The prosecution's filing comes four days after the defense asked the court of appeals to release Crumbley on bond pending the outcome of her appeal, maintaining she is no threat to anyone, and that her appeal raises a "substantial question of law or fact." Perhaps most notably, it has argued, is that a judge has concluded that the prosecution intentionally withheld evidence from the defense during and before trial, yet let that misconduct slide in denying Crumbley a retrial. Additionally, the defense insists that the alleged fugitive story is not true, maintaining that the couple were never on the run, but only hiding out of fear due to death threats they were receiving. Perhaps more importantly, the defense says, the couple had plans to turn themselves in — with their lawyers — and the prosecutor knew this. But the prosecutor still launched a manhunt for the couple and declared them fugitives, the defense argues in court filings, despite knowing of the couple's surrender plans. In a court filing this week, Crumbley's appellate lawyer Michael Dezsi cites a text message that Crumbley's trial lawyer had sent Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald in 2021, telling her of plans "to walk the Crumbleys in to be booked and process." It was sent at 6:53 p.m. on Dec. 2, 2021. Prosecutor McDonald texted back: 'Ok, Let's talk in the morning.' " There was no such morning conversation, trial testimony shows. Instead, that following day, a SWAT team was amassed and a manhunt was launched, ending with the arrest of the Crumbleys in an art studio at about 1 a.m. on Dec. 4, 2021. "So why didn't the prosecution work with counsel to allow the Crumbleys to walk into a police station for processing?" Dezsi writes. "Seemingly, the prosecution was motivated by a desire to sensationalize the Crumbleys arrest as part and parcel of its broad ranging public relations 'smear campaign' that started in the hours following the incident.' Dezsi also urged the appeals court not to "give weight" to prior bond decisions involving Crumbley, who was denied bond at least eight times pending the outcome of her trial. Dezsi argues the standards for bond pretrial are different from on appeal. Specifically, he says, the only two legal standards that Crumbley must meet to be released on bond pending her appeal are proving she is not a danger to society, and that her appeal raises "a substantial question of law or fact." Dezsi maintains Crumbley meets both standards. "Mrs. Crumbley is not a danger to the public," Dezsi writes, adding she's also not a flight risk, despite the prosecution's assertions. And if the court has any flight risk concerns, he writes, it can address those by placing an electronic monitoring device on Crumbley. "The prosecution's main objection to Mrs. Crumbley's instant bond motion is that she is a 'flight risk.' … Nowhere in its response brief does the prosecution argue that Mrs. Crumbley poses a danger to others. Because she does not," Dezsi writes. More: Judge: Prosecutor broke the rules, but Crumbleys still not getting new trials Jennifer and James Crumbley made history last year after separate juries convicted both parents of involuntary manslaughter, concluding the couple's actions and inactions led to the deaths of four students murdered by their son: Tate Myre, 16; Hana St. Juliana, 14; Madisyn Baldwin, 17, and Justin Shilling, 17. Six other students and a teacher also were injured. Prosecutors argued at trial that the Crumbleys, more than anyone else, could have prevented the massacre had they done even the "smallest of things," like lock up the gun that their son snuck out of their home and used to shoot up his school, tell school officials that he had access to a gun, or brought him home from school after being notified about his troubling behavior on the morning before the shooting, when he drew a picture of a gun, a bleeding human body, and scrawled the words: "The thoughts won't stop, help me." After seeing the cryptic message during a meeting with school officials on the morning of the shootings, the Crumbleys returned to their jobs and promised to get their son help within 48 hours. Their son returned to class after school officials concluded he was no threat to himself, or others. His backpack, which contained the gun, was never searched. Two hours later, he fired his first shot. The Crumbleys maintain they had no idea their son planned to shoot up his school, never saw signs that he was mentally ill — despite prosecutors claiming otherwise — and that the gun at issue was hidden in their bedroom armoire, unloaded, with the bullets hidden in another drawer. More: Jennifer Crumbley appeals to higher court: I'm no threat. Release me on bond The shooter, who was 15 at the time of the massacre, pleaded guilty to all his crimes and is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. He also is appealing. Contact Tresa Baldas: tbaldas:@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Prosecution fights to keep Oxford school shooter's mom locked up
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Yahoo
Prosecutor: Jennifer Crumbley is a greater flight risk now more than ever
The Oakland County Prosecutor's Office is imploring the Michigan Court of Appeals to keep the mother of the Oxford High School shooter locked up, maintaining she is a greater flight risk now, more than ever. In a June 20 filing with the appeals court, the prosecution argues that Jennifer Crumbley cannot be trusted to be free, especially at this stage of the game when she has already been convicted and sentenced, and the "presumption of innocence no longer applies." Crumbley was convicted and sentenced last year to 10-15 years in prison for the deaths of four students murdered by her son in the Nov. 30, 2021, mass shooting at Oxford High School. Letting her out now, the prosecution argues, is too risky, especially given her actions in the days following the shooting. Prosecutors allege the shooter's parents fled their home and hid from authorities in a building in Detroit to avoid prosecution over their actions, and inactions. "(Crumbley) has been a flight risk from the moment she was charged," Assistant Oakland County Prosecutor Joseph Shada writes in a June 20 filing with the court of appeals, alleging Crumbley "presents a greater flight risk" now, more "than ever." According to the prosecution, in the days after the shooting, Jennifer and James Crumbley, the shooter's parents, hid out in an art studio in a commercial building in Detroit, where they were discovered by police following a massive manhunt. "(The parents) liquated their assets, emptied their son's bank account, abandoned a vehicle, bought burner phones, and traveled 30 to 40 miles to hide in a commercial building in Detroit," Shada writes, adding the couple also tried to hide the license plate when they parked their car outside the building they were hiding in. According to trial testimony, a 911 tipster spotted the couple's car and called authorities. "Despite the overwhelming police presence, the mass of flashing lights, and the sound of doors being broken down, the defendants did not surrender themselves, but pretended to be asleep," Shada writes. "Their deceit was laid bare when text messages from defendants came to light showing that they suspected they had been found and were 'laying low.' " Flight risk allegations aside, the prosecution also argues that Crumbley's appeal has no merit. "A jury unanimously found that defendant was grossly negligent, and her gross negligence was a cause of the four deaths in the Oxford High School shooting. She was properly convicted of four counts of involuntary manslaughter," Shada writes, adding her "request for bond pending appeal should be denied." The prosecution's filing comes four days after the defense asked the court of appeals to release Crumbley on bond pending the outcome of her appeal, maintaining she is no threat to anyone, and that her appeal raises a "substantial question of law or fact." Perhaps most notably, it has argued, is that a judge has concluded that the prosecution intentionally withheld evidence from the defense during and before trial, yet let that misconduct slide in denying Crumbley a retrial. Additionally, the defense insists that the alleged fugitive story is not true, maintaining that the couple were never on the run, but only hiding out of fear due to death threats they were receiving. Perhaps more importantly, the defense says, the couple had plans to turn themselves in — with their lawyers — and the prosecutor knew this. But the prosecutor still launched a manhunt for the couple and declared them fugitives, the defense argues in court filings, despite knowing of the couple's surrender plans. In a court filing this week, Crumbley's appellate lawyer Michael Dezsi cites a text message that Crumbley's trial lawyer had sent Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald in 2021, telling her of plans "to walk the Crumbleys in to be booked and process." It was sent at 6:53 p.m. on Dec. 2, 2021. Prosecutor McDonald texted back: 'Ok, Let's talk in the morning.' " There was no such morning conversation, trial testimony shows. Instead, that following day, a SWAT team was amassed and a manhunt was launched, ending with the arrest of the Crumbleys in an art studio at about 1 a.m. on Dec. 4, 2021. "So why didn't the prosecution work with counsel to allow the Crumbleys to walk into a police station for processing?" Dezsi writes. "Seemingly, the prosecution was motivated by a desire to sensationalize the Crumbleys arrest as part and parcel of its broad ranging public relations 'smear campaign' that started in the hours following the incident.' Dezsi also urged the appeals court not to "give weight" to prior bond decisions involving Crumbley, who was denied bond at least eight times pending the outcome of her trial. Dezsi argues the standards for bond pretrial are different from on appeal. Specifically, he says, the only two legal standards that Crumbley must meet to be released on bond pending her appeal are proving she is not a danger to society, and that her appeal raises "a substantial question of law or fact." Dezsi maintains Crumbley meets both standards. "Mrs. Crumbley is not a danger to the public," Dezsi writes, adding she's also not a flight risk, despite the prosecution's assertions. And if the court has any flight risk concerns, he writes, it can address those by placing an electronic monitoring device on Crumbley. "The prosecution's main objection to Mrs. Crumbley's instant bond motion is that she is a 'flight risk.' … Nowhere in its response brief does the prosecution argue that Mrs. Crumbley poses a danger to others. Because she does not," Dezsi writes. More: Judge: Prosecutor broke the rules, but Crumbleys still not getting new trials Jennifer and James Crumbley made history last year after separate juries convicted both parents of involuntary manslaughter, concluding the couple's actions and inactions led to the deaths of four students murdered by their son: Tate Myre, 16; Hana St. Juliana, 14; Madisyn Baldwin, 17, and Justin Shilling, 17. Six other students and a teacher also were injured. Prosecutors argued at trial that the Crumbleys, more than anyone else, could have prevented the massacre had they done even the "smallest of things," like lock up the gun that their son snuck out of their home and used to shoot up his school, tell school officials that he had access to a gun, or brought him home from school after being notified about his troubling behavior on the morning before the shooting, when he drew a picture of a gun, a bleeding human body, and scrawled the words: "The thoughts won't stop, help me." After seeing the cryptic message during a meeting with school officials on the morning of the shootings, the Crumbleys returned to their jobs and promised to get their son help within 48 hours. Their son returned to class after school officials concluded he was no threat to himself, or others. His backpack, which contained the gun, was never searched. Two hours later, he fired his first shot. The Crumbleys maintain they had no idea their son planned to shoot up his school, never saw signs that he was mentally ill — despite prosecutors claiming otherwise — and that the gun at issue was hidden in their bedroom armoire, unloaded, with the bullets hidden in another drawer. More: Jennifer Crumbley appeals to higher court: I'm no threat. Release me on bond The shooter, who was 15 at the time of the massacre, pleaded guilty to all his crimes and is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. He also is appealing. Contact Tresa Baldas: tbaldas:@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Prosecution fights to keep Oxford school shooter's mom locked up
