Trials for the parents of Oxford school shooter Ethan Crumbley are still scheduled to start Jan. 23 in Oakland County Circuit Court, though it hasn’t been yet determined which of the two will go first — or, less likely, if the trials will happen simultaneously, according to Court Administrator Richard Lynch.
A jury panel is set to report on Jan. 23 for the Crumbley cases, Lynch said. But as of Jan. 4, whether the juror selection process will be for James Crumbley, Jennifer Crumbley or both is still undecided. Lynch said the court, along with prosecutors and defense attorneys, continue to “work diligently on the matter and make sure everything goes into place.”
Separate trials can benefit a defendant because it can mean not all available evidence for both is presented during the individual trials. Lynch said “it’s possible, but not probable” that the Crumbleys’ trials will happen at the same time with their separate juries, noting that such an arrangement can present a number of issues and complexities — such as having to move one jury out of the courtroom during some witness testimony for the other case.
Judge Cheryl Matthews will preside over the Crumbleys’ trials.
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James Crumbley and Jennifer Crumbley each face four counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the Nov. 30. 2021 mass shooting carried out by their son, who was 15 at the time. They’re accused of providing access to the handgun used in the slaying of four students and shooting of six other students and a teacher. Prosecutors also claim the parents are culpable because they didn’t get Ethan Crumbley the mental health he needed before he opened fire at the school.
Ethan Crumbley pleaded guilty in 2022 to the 24 charges he faced — including four counts of first-degree murder — and was sentenced last month to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
At his sentencing hearing before Oakland County Circuit Judge Kwame Rowe, he took responsibility for the shootings, stating: “My actions were because of what I chose to do. I could not stop myself. I am the one that led to why we are here today.”
Ethan Crumbley is held in the Thumb Correctional Facility, a Level II prison in Lapeer County.
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Last November, James Crumbley and Jennifer Crumbley were granted requests for separate trials. Lynch said he’s not aware of any legally-required deadline to schedule a trial prior to its start. Meanwhile, the court continues to address motions filed for the cases. One was filed this week by Jennifer Crumbley’s defense attorney, Shannon Smith, who wants three witnesses barred from testifying for the prosecution. Last month, the judge granted motions to not allow evidence that Ethan Crumbley mutilated and killed birds, as well as evidence about the couple’s purported marital infidelity.
If convicted, the Crumbley parents face up to 15 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $7,500 for each involuntary manslaughter charge. They’ve been in the Oakland County Jail since December 2021.