In a recent court ruling in Detroit, a judge has declined requests for new trials from the parents of a Michigan school shooter, despite acknowledging a lapse by prosecutors in not disclosing agreements with two pivotal witnesses. Oakland County Judge Cheryl Matthews noted that overturning the involuntary manslaughter convictions of James and Jennifer Crumbley and initiating a new trial process would be excessively severe.
Judge Matthews emphasized that to grant a retrial would mean disregarding extensive testimony, assuming a basis for the jury’s verdict without justification, and overlooking substantial evidence pointing to guilt. Such actions would invite impermissible speculation on alternative outcomes, she remarked. James and Jennifer Crumbley are currently serving 10-year prison terms following the incident. They were unaware of their son Ethan’s intention to carry out a mass shooting at Oxford High School in 2021. However, they were accused of negligence for not securing a firearm at home and neglecting Ethan’s mental health needs. The tragic event resulted in the death of four students.
On the day of the shooting, the Crumbleys did not take Ethan home even after being shown his disturbing drawings depicting a gun, blood, and ominous messages. During the trial, school administrator Nick Ejak and counselor Shawn Hopkins testified concerning the encounter with Ethan. Unbeknownst to the defense and the jurors, these witnesses had provided previous statements to investigators, assured that such statements wouldn’t be used against them in a legal context, and they were never criminally charged.
The Crumbleys’ legal team argued that the prosecution had a fundamental duty to disclose such agreements, which could have been pivotal during cross-examination to challenge the credibility of Ejak and Hopkins. While noting the troubling nature of the non-disclosure, Judge Matthews did not find it warranted a new trial. Prosecutor Karen McDonald’s office asserted that these were not immunity deals and thus did not require disclosure.
Jennifer Crumbley’s appellate attorney, Michael Dezsi, expressed the intent to continue seeking justice in higher courts. He remarked critically on the situation, “So the prosecution intentionally cheated and violated the court rules, but they didn’t cheat hard enough for the court to do anything about it.” Meanwhile, Ethan Crumbley is serving a life sentence for his actions.