PONTIAC, Mich. — The father of a Michigan school shooter who is facing charges released to the shooting is trying to get a jury from another county.
James Crumbley, 47, claims that he can’t get a fair trial following his wife, Jennifer Crumbley’s conviction, according to The Associated Press.
James Crumbley has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and is accused of making a gun accessible for his son, Ethan Crumbley, 15, the AP reported. He is also accused of not getting Ethan Crumbley mental health care.
The AP reported that it is uncommon that a jury will be brought over to Oakland County from another country or that there will be a change of location for Crumbley’s trial in Michigan state.
“It is impossible to have jurors forget what they have heard and seen since Nov. 30, 2021, and even more so, as recently as Jennifer Crumbley’s trial,” defense attorney Mariell Lehman wrote in her filing obtained by the Detroit Free Press. “In order to have a fair trial with impartial and unbiased jurors, a change of venue using jurors from a different county will be required.”
“Mr. Crumbley wants, and is entitled to, a fair trial with impartial jurors who do not have personal connections to the school shooting or its victims, and jurors who have not been influenced by the inflammatory media. …. And particularly by interviews conducted with Prosecutor (Karen) McDonald that include completely inaccurate information that the public has accepted and repeated as facts of the case,” Lehman argued.
[ Jennifer Crumbley trial: Jury finds Michigan school shooter’s mother guilty of manslaughter ]
Crumbley is expected to go on trial on March 5 for involuntary manslaughter charges. According to the Detroit Free Press, he is facing four counts - one for each student who was shot and killed by his son at Oxford High School on Nov. 30, 2021.
Prosecutors said that social media posts showed Ethan Crumbley had planned the mass shooting at Oxford High School in advance. In addition to the four deaths, seven other people were injured. He was sentenced last year to life in prison without parole after pleading guilty to multiple counts of first-degree murder and other charges.
Jennifer Crumbley, 45, was found guilty on Feb. 6 of four counts of involuntary manslaughter for the deaths of Hana St. Juliana, 14; Tate Myre, 16; Madisyn Baldwin, 17; and Justin Shilling, 17. She is expected to be sentenced on April 9 and faces as many as 15 years behind bars, WXYZ-TV reported.