OXFORD, Mich. – Jury selection began Tuesday in the trial for Jennifer Crumbley, the mother of the Oxford High School shooter.
Here are some key details about the case:
- Crumbley and her husband are each facing four counts of involuntary manslaughter for the students who were killed by their son in November 2021.
- The parents were originally going to be tried together, but a request for separate trials was granted in November. Jennifer Crumbley’s trial began Tuesday, and her husband’s trial is expected to start afterward, in March.
- The shooter was sentenced in December to life in prison without the chance of parole.
Local 4′s Shawn Ley was inside the courtroom for Tuesday’s jury selection. You can follow along with live updates below.
Jury selection to continue Wednesday
- 4:43 p.m.
The potential jurors were asked to return 9 a.m. Wednesday.
“I don’t know how far we’ll get tomorrow,” said the judge, who added that a mistrial would be devastating.
They are optimistic that they could have the jury by the end of Tuesday. It’s unknown when the trial will start, but once it starts, things are expected to move quickly.
The current 17 in the jury box contains eight men and nine women.
More questions
- 4:33 p.m.
McDonald has more questions for the potential jurors tomorrow. The defense attorney has not yet asked questions.
No jury has been seated yet. It’s expected to continue Wednesday.
4 more excused, replaced
- 4:10 p.m.
They are getting closer to seating a jury. The 17 in the jury box right now may be the final jury after four were excused and replaced.
All 17 said they can be fair.
Prosecutor, defense questions
- 3:56 p.m.
Prosecutor Karen McDonald and the defense are now asking questions for the first 17 potential jurors
Sending a message?
- 3:10 p.m.
A juror asked if since it’s the first time parents have been charged, if Crumbley is found not guilty, does that send a message? The judge said it does and that the message being sent would be that the prosecutors did not prove their case.
Juror pay
- 3:08 p.m.
The jurors will be paid $15-17 a day.
The teacher said she may not be able to afford to serve and she just started a new job.
More juror details
- 3:04 p.m. Tuesday
One is a teacher who the judge said looked emotional. She said she has stage fright and watches the news, but thinks she can be impartial.
She said she votes Democrat. The judge said she wasn’t asked that question and the courtroom erupted in laughter.
She was asked if her child threw a ball through a neighbor’s window, would she be responsible? She answered no.
Questions for jurors
- 3:02 p.m. Tuesday
Some of the other questions posed to potential jurors: Do you think police officers are truthful when they testify? Did you have an Oxford Strong sign in your yard?
Two people have said they were victims of armed robberies.
One juror said she does not like guns and knows she saw that the gun in this case was unsecured.
Some more potential jurors have been dismissed.
More juror details
- 2:37 p.m. Tuesday
Among the potential jurors are an engineer, a vet oncologist, a chef, and a city worker. Most of them have children.
Jurors were asked whether they believe most police officers to be truthful and whether they have any family members who are police officers.
One juror told the judge that it would be difficult to be fair with police testimony because he would take what most police say on the stand as fact.
Jury selection resumes
- 2:18 p.m. Tuesday
Jury selection has resumed.
The first 17 were called into the jury box and asked by the judge if there is anything that would keep them from being a juror during this trial.
Some said they have pre-paid trips for work or vacations. The judge excused a juror who has a pre-paid trip scheduled.
Shooter’s name
- 2:08 p.m. Tuesday
Judge Matthews told the attorneys that the name of the shooter will not be spoken in her courtroom.
She quickly read the list of at least 80 witnesses who will be called. She did not read the shooter’s name, but he is on the witness list.
Video update from Shawn
- 1:35 p.m. Tuesday
Lunch break
- 12:50 p.m. Tuesday
The judge allowed potential jurors to take a lunch break, asking them not to discuss anything about the process.
She said they will resume at 1:50 p.m.
Charging details
- 12:49 p.m. Tuesday
The charges are that Jennifer Crumbley caused the deaths of the four students who were killed by her son by allowing acces to a firearm.
Potential jurors were told that the prosecutors will try to prove she was grossly negligent and knew her child posed a risk to others.
She is accused of failing to perform reasonable care to prevent her son from harming others.
List of witnesses
- 12:42 p.m. Tuesday
Potential jurors were shown a long list of witnesses to see if they know any of them.
They will also be asked 17 questions.
“You will not be here until you’re old and gray,” Judge Matthews said.
Sequestering
- 12:36 p.m. Tuesday
Jurors were told not to watch or read the news or go on social media. Judge Matthews said there will be serious consequences for violating those instructions.
Sequestration means jurors would stay together instead of going home at the end of the day, away from outside information.
She said jurors might be excused by her for cause or by lawyers due to challenge. They were told not to take that personally.
Judge instructions
- 12:31 p.m. Tuesday
Judge Matthews told the potential jurors that they aren’t looking for people who have never heard about the shooting, because most likely have. She said they are instructed to look at real evidence that’s presented during the case.
She told them that media is in attendance, but that their names and pictures will never be broadcast.
Lawyers were told not to use the shooter’s name.
Potential jurors called to box
- 12:27 p.m. Tuesday
Seventeen potential jurors were called to the box.
First group of jurors
- 12:21 p.m. Tuesday
The first group of potential jurors includes 21 women and 22 men.
Waiting for next potential jurors
- 12:11 p.m. Tuesday
The judge came in and explained what she was going to do in bringing in another group of jurors.
She left the bench and prosecutors left. Prosecutors returned shortly afterward and are waiting for the judge and the potential jurors to be brought in.
How unique is this case?
- 12:01 p.m. Tuesday
Shawn asked Neil Rockind, of Rockind Law, to explain why it’s so unusual to have the mother of a shooter charged with involuntary manslaughter.
Here’s what he said:
“This was an intentional, premeditated killing by the shooter. It is extremely unusual for anyone other than the shooter to be charged. What makes this case so unique and unusual is that the prosecution has charged the shooter’s mother with a different crime than the shooter. He committed murder, she is charged with manslaughter. Those are different.
“Involuntary manslaughter means that she caused the deaths of the students not through intentional conduct but rather by gross negligence. Gross negligence is difficult to pin down and sometimes seems tough to define. It means she knew of a danger and knew that she needed to take ordinary care or action to avoid injuring another, and had she acted differently, she could have avoided the injury and that she failed to act to prevent injury to another.
“They are accusing her of knowing that her action and inaction could lead to injury to others and that she disregarded that risk to others.”
More jury members excused
- 11:46 a.m. Tuesday
Six more jury members have been excused, and 50 more are being sent up to the courtroom right now.
Seventeen of those potential jurors will be called the judge via blind draw.
Then, they will be allowed to leave for lunch.
Judge takes bench
- 11:41 a.m. Tuesday
Judge Matthews has taken the bench.
Some jurors already eliminated
- 11:35 a.m. Tuesday
Oakland County assistant Prosecutor Marc Keast and his team are in the courtroom. Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald then entered, along with the chief Oakland County Sheriff’s Office investigator of the shooting.
Some of the jurors have already been eliminated from the pool based on their answers in an initial questionnaire.
Prosecutors return
- 11:25 a.m. Tuesday
Prosecutors returned to the courtroom and appear ready to begin.
Shawn Ley video update
- 11:20 a.m. Tuesday
Courtroom status
- 10:58 a.m. Tuesday
Crumbley’s attorney told deputies that she and her client are ready. She said she is waiting on the prosecution.
Prosecutors are not yet in the courtroom, and the judge has not taken the bench.
There are currently no potential jurors in the courtroom.
Why no cameras?
- 10:47 a.m. Tuesday
Shawn asked Local 4 Legal Analyst Neil Rockind, of Rockind Law, why there are no cameras allowed in the courtroom for jury selection.
“I think it is totally discretionary with a judge, but protecting juror’s identifications, etc., is paramount to the court,” Rockind said. “I have had trials with cameras in the courtroom during jury selection, but the cameras are either off or pointed at the lawyers and the jurors’ identities and answers are protected.”
Jennifer Crumbley returns to courtroom
- 10:23 a.m. Tuesday
Two Oakland County deputies escorted Crumbley back into the courtroom with her hands shackled until she took her seat.
She is not in an orange jail jumpsuit.
Prosecutors entered the courtroom and huddled briefly with Shannon Smith.
Seven deputies from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office are in the courtroom, and more are outside the room.
Security at the front door went through Shawn’s work bag, and then he walked through a metal detector.
At the courtroom door, everyone has to be wanded each time they enter.
Request for jury questions denied
- 9:49 a.m. Tuesday
Shawn asked for a copy of the questions the potential jurors will be asked, but Judge Matthews is not providing those questions at this time.
More juror numbers
- 9:41 a.m. Tuesday
There are 325 potential jurors who have been called for jury duty, and 300 are at the courthouse as of 9:41 a.m.
There are 15 chairs in the jury box, and the selection process has not officially started yet. Only defense attorney Shannon Smith and the media are in the courtroom, with three victims sitting in the very back.
The other five benches are open and will be taken by potential jurors. Judge Matthews says if there is room for a member of the public, that person can come in since it’s an open court.
If there’s room for another media member, they can stay, but if not, they will be asked to leave.
Inside the courtroom
- 9:21 a.m. Tuesday
Oakland County Judge Cheryl A. Matthews said four victims of the shooting chose to be in the court room, along with eight chosen members of the media.
It’s an open, public courtroom, so anyone can attend.
Fifty jurors were brought in, with 18 potential jurors in the box. The rest will be in the gallery.
Matthews said the courthouse has been “paralyzed” by this trial. She said the community is deeply impacted since the shooting.
Jennifer Crumbley arrives
- 9:14 a.m. Tuesday
Crumbley arrived at the courthouse without an orange jump suit, handcuffs, or chains. She was wearing a blue dress and leggings.
She has been in the Oakland County Jail since Dec. 4, 2021, on four counts of involuntary manslaughter.
Shannon Smith is representing Crumbley in what is now a split case from her husband’s trial. The case was split due to a conflict of interest between the two.
Mariell Lehman is now representing James Crumbley.
Jennifer Crumbley was placed under oath.
Jury selection
- 9 a.m. Tuesday
During jury selection, the judge, prosecutors, and the defense team for Crumbley will be allowed to question potential jurors and dismiss any they don’t deem likely to be objective or to lean in their favor.
Early in the court process, the Crumbley parents asked to have the trial moved outside of Oakland County because they feared they wouldn’t get a fair trial from jurors so close to Oxford High School. That request was denied.
“As a general rule, if a juror is able to set aside preexisting knowledge and opinions about a case, that is sufficient to support denial of a motion to change venue,” Oakland County Judge Cheryl A. Matthews said.