PONTIAC, Michigan: The father of a Michigan school shooter is seeking to have jurors from a different county decide his involuntary manslaughter case. The defense argues that widespread publicity and his wife’s recent conviction make it impossible for him to receive a fair trial. James Crumbley, 47, is accused of making a gun accessible to his son, Ethan Crumbley, and failing to get mental health care for him.
Ethan, 15 at the time, committed a mass shooting at Oxford High School in 2021, killing four students and wounding several others. Jury selection in the father’s Oakland County trial is scheduled for March 5, but the defense is pushing for a change of location or the introduction of jurors from another county, something that is uncommon in Michigan. The defense’s request will be addressed during a hearing when Judge Cheryl Matthews considers objections to certain witnesses and evidence.
Prosecutors have been subject to a gag order and remain unable to discuss the case with reporters. Meanwhile, Jennifer Crumbley, the mother, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter on February 6, while Ethan, now 17, pleaded guilty to murder and terrorism, receiving a life prison sentence without parole.
The defense believes that the extensive media coverage and the recent guilty verdict against Jennifer have tainted the potential jurors’ perception. Oakland County, with a population of 1.27 million people, presents a significant challenge for selecting impartial jurors due to the widespread awareness of the tragedy.
It took about two days to select a jury for Jennifer Crumbley’s trial, with the jurors claiming that they could fairly evaluate the evidence, despite their familiarity with the Oxford High School tragedy. With public opinion seemingly against the Crumbleys, the defense is adamant that a change of location or jury selection is necessary to ensure their client receives a fair trial.