Judge bans James, Jennifer Crumbley from son's sentencing in Oxford school shooting
The parents of the Oxford school shooter will not be allowed to attend their son's sentencing hearing in December despite their desire to be there when he learns his punishment for his 2021 deadly rampage.
In a one-page order, Oakland County Circuit Judge Cheryl Matthews denied the couple's request to attend the hearing. Defense lawyers last week sought permission for James and Jennifer Crumbley to attend the sentencing in person.
The defense also asked that should the parents not be allowed to be at the actual hearing they be allowed to watch it through a live feed at the Oakland County Jail, where they've been held on charges for their alleged roles in the shooting: The Crumbleys bought their son the gun that he used in the rampage.
The judge said no to both requests, though watching the proceeding from jail could still be an option.
In her order, Matthews wrote that the Crumbleys "have not provided any legal authority to support their argument that the court should order the Oakland County Jail to transport the defendants to the sentencing hearing."
Sheriff has option to allow Crumbleys to watch livestream
"Additionally," the order continued, "the defendants have not shown that the OCJ is required to arrange for viewing of the sentencing."
However, the judge added, it is within the discretion of the Oakland County Sheriff's Department to permit the Crumbleys to watch a livestream of the sentencing hearing from the jail. The Oakland County sheriff was not readily available for comment.
Ethan Crumbley will find out on Dec. 8 whether he will spend the rest of his life in prison for murdering four classmates and injuring seven others in the 2021 mass shooting he carried out at Oxford High School. A different judge determined last month that Crumbley, who was 15 at the time of the shooting, is eligible for life without the possibility of parole — though he could still hand down a sentence of fixed years.
The parents, who haven't seen their son in almost two years due to their pending criminal charges, argued the sentencing hearing will be a crucial moment in their son's life, and they wanted to be there for him. But the prosecution, which objected to the Crumbleys attending the hearing, argued the parents' presence could be distracting for the victims who will be giving impact statements.
The case against the Crumbley parents
The Crumbleys are locked up on involuntary manslaughter charges, with prosecutors alleging they ignored their son's troubles, didn't get him help and bought the gun instead.
They also argue that the Crumbleys, more than anyone else, could have prevented the shooting had they told school officials that they had purchased their son a gun on the morning they were summoned to the school over his troubling behavior.
But the Crumbleys made no mention of the early Christmas present that they had purchased for their son, just days before the massacre. Rather, they returned to their jobs and promised to get their son help in the coming days.
Hours later, Ethan Crumbley emerged from a bathroom and opened fire.
The Crumbleys have long argued that they had no way of knowing their son would shoot up his school that day and that the gun was properly stored, but the Michigan Supreme Court let the charges stand. A trial date has been set for Jan. 23, 2024.
Contact Tresa Baldas: tbaldas@freepress.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Judge bans Crumbleys from son's sentencing in Oxford school shooting
