DETROIT — Three Michigan Court of Appeals judges weighed arguments Tuesday about whether there is sufficient evidence to send the parents of the Oxford High School shooter to trial on involuntary manslaughter charges, raising questions about how foreseeable the shooting was to James and Jennifer Crumbley.
Judges Christopher Murray, Michael Riordan and Christopher Yates focused most of their questions on what the Crumbleys didn't do to prevent their son's mass shooting on Nov. 30, 2021, but defense lawyers countered that the court risked setting a precedent that opened all parents to legal liability for not doing certain things even though they aren't aware of their children's state of mind.
Michigan parents are rarely charged in connection with the crimes committed by their children. The hearing also was unusual because an Oakland County Circuit Court judge had already bound over the Crumbleys for trial, but the Michigan Supreme Court stepped in and delayed the proceeding until the Court of Appeals panel reviewed whether there was probable cause a crime was committed — which legal experts say requires a low level of proof — and should proceed to trial.
