PONTIAC, Michigan: The father of the Michigan school shooter is requesting jurors from a different county to hear his involuntary manslaughter case, citing concerns over the widespread publicity and his wife’s recent conviction. James Crumbley, 47, stands accused of allowing his son, Ethan Crumbley, access to a gun and failing to secure mental health care for him. This comes after the 15-year-old carried out a mass shooting at Oxford High School in 2021, resulting in the deaths of four students and injuries to others.
Defense attorney Mariell Lehman argued that the Crumbleys have already been “clearly convicted in the court of public opinion,” in a court filing on Wednesday. The request for jurors from a different county is a rare move in Michigan, where trial locations and juries are typically limited to the county in which the alleged crime occurred.
The father’s trial is set to begin on March 5 in Oakland County, where hundreds of potential jurors will be summoned. The process of jury selection for Jennifer Crumbley’s trial took about two days, with selected jurors expressing their ability to fairly consider the evidence, despite being familiar with the Oxford tragedy. Oakland County has a population of 1.27 million people.
The issue of jury selection may be addressed during an upcoming hearing, where Judge Cheryl Matthews will consider defense objections to certain witnesses and evidence. Meanwhile, prosecutors are unable to make statements to the media due to a gag order, but have opposed the defense’s request for jurors from outside the county.
Jennifer Crumbley, James Crumbley’s wife, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter on Feb. 6 and is awaiting sentencing. Their son, Ethan Crumbley, who is now 17, pleaded guilty to murder and terrorism, receiving a life prison sentence without the possibility of parole.