James Crumbley, father of Oxford High School shooter, requests new trial
James Crumbley, the father of the Oxford High School shooter, has filed a motion requesting a new trial or an evidentiary hearing nearly a year after he was convicted of involuntary manslaughter.
Crumbley's appellate attorney, Alona Sharon, filed the motion on Friday in Oakland County 6th Circuit Court. Sharon claims that Crumbley did not get a fair trial partly because proffer agreements that prosecutors made with two Oxford school officials, former Dean of Students Nicholas Ejak and school counselor Shawn Hopkins, were not disclosed to the defense.
Sharon claims that the prosecutors' concealment of the agreements prevented Crumbley's trial attorney, Mariell Lehman, from cross-examining Ejak and Hopkins on their motive for their testimonies. The school officials met with the Crumbleys on the morning of the Nov. 30, 2021, shooting.
"Most of the remedies listed by the court rule cannot remedy the instant discovery violation because the prosecution concealed the proffer agreements until six days after Mr. Crumbley's conviction," Sharon wrote. "The prosecution's actions made it impossible for this Honorable Court to remedy the prosecution's willful violation of the court rule short of a new trial."
Sharon also requested that the court grant a Ginther Hearing, which grants a defendant a hearing of evidence if they claim their attorney was inadequate or disinterested during their case and that they had an ineffective legal counsel.
She also argued that Circuit Court Judge Cheryl Matthews failed to analyze whether the shooter invoking his Fifth Amendment Right to not testify was justified. The shooter, Ethan Crumbley, did not testify at either of his parents' trials.
"It appears from the record that once appellate counsel informed the court that EC would invoke his Fifth Amendment right the trial court's inquiry and consideration of the issue ended. This action was an abuse of discretion as the trial court was required to make a particularized inquiry to determine the validity of the assertion and it neglected to do so," Sharon wrote.
Sharon also argued that Lehman failed to request that the court inquire further about the shooter invoking his Fifth Amendment right.
The Oakland County Prosecutor's Office spokesperson, Jeff Wattrick, issued the following statement: "James Crumbley received a fair trial. As with Jennifer Crumbley, we believe the jury verdict in this case is correct and should be upheld. We are currently reviewing his appeal filing. Our office will respond in accordance with the court rules."
The prosecutor's office has acknowledged that Ejak and Hopkins had proffer agreements but denied that they were promised immunity, leniency, or favoritism for testifying.
"The agreement specifically says that they may be prosecuted and that there are no promises made. The only purpose of the agreement is to allow the witness to have an initial meeting with the prosecution without fear that their statements in that meeting will be used to criminally charge them. Both witnesses subsequently testified under oath without any promises or protection, and they were given nothing for their testimony," Chief Assistant Prosecutor David Williams said in a statement last year.
James and Jennifer Crumbley were charged and convicted of four counts of involuntary manslaughter. The pair were sentenced to 10-15 years in prison in connection with the shooting that killed students Madisyn Baldwin, Justin Shilling, Tate Myre and Hana St. Juliana. Six other students and a teacher were injured in the shooting.
Their son was sentenced to life in prison for multiple charges, including murder and terrorism.
The prosecution argued that the parents should be held partially responsible for the students' deaths because they ignored signs of their son's mental health needs and purchased the gun that was used in the shooting.
Attorney Michael Deszi, who was appointed to Jennifer Crumbley for her appeal, argued that his client did not owe a "legal duty" to the victims because the teen was under the supervision of school officials.
Deszi filed a motion also requesting a new trial for Jennifer Crumbley. However, Matthews denied most of the court filing. The judge denied claims that only school officials were negligent in preventing the deadly shooting and that Jennifer Crumbley was not given a fair trial.
The video above previously aired on Jan. 31, 2025.
