PONTIAC, Mich. (Scripps News Detroit) A jury has been seated in the trial for James Crumbley, the father of the Oxford school shooter, on day two of jury selection.
James Crumbley enters the courtroom during his motion hearing at Oakland County Courthouse, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024, in Pontiac, Mich. (Clarence Tabb Jr./Detroit News via AP, Pool)
The jury is comprised of nine women and six men. Opening statements are expected to begin on Thursday morning.
Leading up to the trial, Judge Cheryl Matthews denied a request from James and his attorney to move the case outside of Oakland County.
READ MORE: MI v. James Crumbley: School Shooter Dad Trial
James’ defense attorney, Mariell Lehman, argued that he couldn’t get a fair trial in Oakland County due to widespread publicity around the case and his wife, Jennifer’s, recent conviction on manslaughter charges in connection to the Oxford High School shooting.
James is facing four charges of involuntary manslaughter and is accused of making a gun accessible to his son, the shooter, and failing to get him mental health care.
Matthews also ruled last week that the shooter’s journal and text messages from the shooter will be admissible in the trial.
Jennifer Crumbley arrives in court, Monday, Feb. 5, 2024 in Pontiac, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, Pool)
However, Matthews did rule that only one student who witnessed the shooting could testify, and could only testify about what they saw, not the emotional impact the shooting had.
Last month, a jury found Jennifer Crumbley, James’ wife, guilty on all four counts of involuntary manslaughter. She faces up to 15 years in prison.
WATCH: Justin Shilling’s Father Speaks Out After Jennifer Crumbley Verdict
Jennifer’s trial lasted about two weeks.
The shooter pleaded guilty to the murders of four of his classmates and was sentenced in December. But since he is planning to appeal his life sentence, if he were to get on the stand and plead the Fifth, the judge said it would have triggered a mistrial in his mother’s case.
Jennifer’s trial received national attention, specifically from legal experts since the unprecedented charges against the parents could impact how future school shooting cases are handled by prosecutors.
This story was originally published by Scripps News Detroit, an E.W. Scripps Company.
