PONTIAC, Mich. (Court TV) — Michigan mom Jennifer Crumbley is accused of failing to intervene before her son killed four students at Oxford High School in Michigan on Nov. 30, 2021.
Jennifer Crumbley, left, stands with her attorney, Shannon Smith, in an Oakland County courtroom, Monday, Jan. 29, 2024, in Pontiac, Mich. Crumbley, 45, is on trial for involuntary manslaughter, the first time parents have been charged in a U.S. mass school shooting. She and her husband are accused of contributing to the deaths at Oxford High School by neglecting the needs of their son, Ethan Crumbley, and making a gun accessible at home. (Mandi Wright/Detroit Free Press via AP, Pool)
Lawyers from both sides became combative yesterday when the defendant’s friend, Brian Meloche, took the witness stand. On cross-examination, it was revealed that Jennifer and Meloche had an affair.
READ MORE: MI v. Jennifer Crumbley: School Shooter Mom Trial
Court TV anchor Judge Ashley Willcott weighed in on the matter From the Bench:
“Obviously this is quite the contentious case. The defense attorneys fighting literally for their client’s freedom, and this judge has got to bang the gavel and make rulings on all of these arguments and objections. And these attorneys really need to be made not to talk over each other. We need a clear record, clear rulings by the judge. This has gotten really messy.”
Judge Ashley went on to emphasize the importance of those rulings, and the fact that it’s imperative to establish a clear record so as not to risk due process and a fair trial.
