Share this @internewscast.com

PONTIAC, Mich. — School shooter Ethan Crumbley, 17, is appealing his life sentence for murder, and his lawyers will encourage him not to testify if he is called as a witness at his parents’ trials, one of which opened Tuesday in a Michigan courtroom.

The filing Monday from Crumbley’s new legal team came as defense lawyers for his mother, Jennifer Crumbley, began gearing up for her trial after she was charged with involuntary manslaughter in the deadly 2021 shooting at Oxford High School. Her lawyer, Shannon Smith, has previously said she planned to call Ethan Crumbley, who was 15 at the time of the shooting, as a witness.

It was initially unclear which parent would be tried first, but Crumbley’s father, James Crumbley, will face a separate trial for the same charge at a future date.

“Given Ethan Crumbley’s ongoing appeal and the substantial overlap in the subject matter in these three cases, we will advise Ethan to invoke his right to remain silent, should he be called to testify in either pending trial,” his lawyers with the State Appellate Defender’s Office wrote to Oakland County Circuit Judge Cheryl Matthews.

The lawyers, different than the public defenders who previously represented him, also said they had yet to speak with the teen.

Jury selection in Jennifer Crumbley’s trial began slowly on Tuesday, with the court saying it had summoned 340 prospective jurors for the day, but many arrived late due to inclement weather.

The jurors received a questionnaire centered on whether they may have had contact with someone who was at Oxford High School on the day of the shooting and whether they believe they can serve impartially.

Crumbley, wearing black glasses and a navy shirt with her gray hair tied back in a bun, told Matthews she agreed to waive her right to appeal for any conflict of interest related to her lawyer, who had previously also represented her husband. Her lawyer, Shannon Smith, loudly explained the jury selection process to her and appeared to send voice-to-text memos to court staff asking why prosecutors were taking so long to review the questionnaires.

Ethan Crumbley was charged as an adult and pleaded guilty in 2022 to murder, terrorism and other crimes in the killing of students Madisyn Baldwin, 17; Tate Myre, 16; Hana St. Juliana, 14; and Justin Shilling, 17. Several others were injured. Prosecutors said he used a semi-automatic handgun that his parents had given him as an early Christmas gift when he opened fire on Nov. 30, 2021, in a school hallway in a planned attack.

Given his young age, Crumbley was subject to a special hearing last year to determine whether a sentence of life in prison without parole was appropriate. A judge also warned him that by pleading guilty, he could potentially give up his right to appeal because he was not convicted in a trial.

The charges against Jennifer Crumbley, 45, and her husband, James, 47, are a rare instance of parents being held criminally responsible in a mass shooting. If found guilty, the Crumbleys each face up to 15 years in prison and a $7,500 fine for each charge.

Last year, the father of a young man who will stand trial in the fatal shooting of seven people in a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois, pleaded guilty to seven misdemeanor counts of reckless conduct. The father, Robert Crimo Jr., had been charged in the case because he helped his son, Robert Crimo III, obtain his own gun permit even though he was too young at the time.

But the case against the Crumbleys is far more multifaceted, observers say, as Oakland County prosecutors will need to convince a jury that each parent played a role in the deaths and that they were the result of unlawful negligence, although neither parent intended for people to die.

Prosecutors contend the parents were made aware by school officials that their son had been caught searching for ammunition online and made a drawing that included a gun, a person who was shot and the message, “The thoughts won’t stop. Help me.”

Ethan Crumbley explained the drawing was done as part of a video game design, school officials said. But when his parents were called to the school, they declined to take him home. He would go on that day to commit the shooting.

In a news conference days later, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald suggested the Crumbleys had a duty to inform the school about his weapon when they were told about his drawing.

The parents are not accused of knowing about their son’s plan, which he had discussed in a video he recorded the day before the shooting, but prosecutors say the parents knew there were warning signs and he grew up in a turbulent home that affected his mental state.

A gag order imposed by Matthews in 2022 bars both county prosecutors and the separate lawyers for the Crumbleys from speaking publicly.

The school district and staff cannot be sued in the case because of governmental immunity.

Ben Johnson, a lawyer representing Oxford families of two of the student victims and other survivors, said his clients want to see the Crumbleys held accountable.

“Those parents sat in that room with those administrators and didn’t tell them about the gun, didn’t tell them about all the problems this kid was having at home,” Johnson said on NBC’s “TODAY” show. “Didn’t tell them about any of it.”

Selina Guevara reported from Pontiac and Erik Ortiz reported from New York.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
ICE in Chicago protest: Broadview, Illinois leaders to address what they call 'unprovoked' use of chemical agents at ICE facility

Chicago ICE Protest: Broadview, Illinois Leaders Condemn Alleged ‘Unprovoked’ Use of Chemical Agents at ICE Facility

CHICAGO (WLS) — Officials from the village of Broadview are scheduled to…
Trump plans 100% tax on foreign-made films

Trump Proposes Full Tax on Internationally Produced Films

Claiming that movie production has been “stolen” from Hollywood and the U.S.,…
Woman charged with attempted murder in shooting at University of Alabama Arboretum

Woman Faces Attempted Murder Charge After Shooting at University of Alabama Arboretum

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WIAT) — A woman was charged with attempted murder following…
Man executed in Florida for 1990 killings as state leads nation in executions this year

Florida Carries Out Execution for 1990 Murders, Leading the Nation in 2023 Execution Numbers

A man condemned for a double murder in 1990 met his end…
Oklahoma Gov. Stitt, ICE bust 120 illegal immigrants in highway crackdown, slams Biden border failures

Governor Stitt and ICE Collaborate to Detain 120 Undocumented Immigrants in Highway Operation; Criticize Biden’s Border Policies

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol, working with ICE agents, arrested 120 illegal immigrants…
Iowa school superintendent resigns after ICE arrest rocks Des Moines district

Iowa School Chief Steps Down Following Immigration Arrest Impacting Des Moines District

The Iowa school superintendent, recently detained by federal immigration officials, has decided…
Anti-Defamation League retires glossary of extremist groups after backlash for including Charlie Kirk's TPUSA

ADL withdraws extremist groups glossary following criticism for listing Charlie Kirk’s TPUSA

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) recently decided to pull its entire “Glossary of…
A Right Delayed Is a Right Denied: DOJ Suing LA County for Slow-Walking CCW Apps

Justice Delayed Is Justice Denied: DOJ Takes Legal Action Against LA County for Slow Processing of Concealed Carry Permit Applications

The Trump administration’s Justice Department is taking legal action against the Los…
Would SNAP, WIC be disrupted by a government shutdown?

Could a Government Shutdown Affect SNAP and WIC Programs?

(NEXSTAR) – In just a few hours, the U.S. government might face…
Taliban kills internet across Afghanistan, citing morality concerns as UN protests

Taliban Shuts Down Internet Across Afghanistan Due to Morality Issues, Despite UN Objections

The Taliban shut down internet and telecom services across Afghanistan on Monday,…
ICE in Chicago: Federal agents surround South Shore apartment building as DHS requests military deployment to Illinois

Immigration Authorities in Chicago: Federal Agents Encircle South Shore Apartment as Homeland Security Seeks Military Assistance in Illinois

CHICAGO (WLS) — Questions remain after the announcement that the federal government…
Travel warning: Delta Air Lines credit card policy nearly strands couple in London, England | What to know

Travel Alert: Delta Air Lines Credit Card Policy Almost Leaves Couple Stuck in London, England | Essential Information

PHILADELPHIA — There is an important alert for airline travelers. In addition…