Sparks Fly Between Lawyers At Jennifer Crumbley's Trial As Shooting Video Is Played

ROCHESTER HILLS, MI — Prosecutors and defense lawyers got into a heated exchange Thursday morning during Jennifer Crumbely's trial on charges connected to the deadly Oxford school shooting.

The exchange happened after emotional testimony from Oxford Community Schools Assistant Principal Kristy Gibson-Marshall. As video footage of the shooting played in the courtroom, she talked about walking through the hallways and encountering the shooter while attending to a mortally wounded student.

After the video was played, defense attorney Shannon Smith asked Judge Cheryl A. Matthews if the court could pause for a 10-minute break. Matthews granted the request and dismissed the jury.

Before officers could escort Jennifer Crumbley out of the courtroom, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald told the court that Matthews instructed both lawyers and witnesses to keep their emotions in check, and accused Smith of "sobbing" during the testimony.

"I just want to finish, Your Honor," McDonald said. "I just want to finish. I just think if that is the instruction, we are trying really hard to respect the court’s instruction because I understand the reason for it."

Matthews said she didn't instruct that anyone couldn't show emotion, but did ask that anyone who is "audibly sobbing" to leave the courtroom.

"This is a very emotional situation for everyone here, right?" Matthews said. "If someone was audibly sobbing in the audience, I would hope that they exit."

Smith denied sobbing and said she used a tissue to fix her eye makeup after surveillance video ended.

"Your Honor, first of all, I was not sobbing," Smith said. "This is horrific. This is horrific."

"It’s horrific," Smith added. "That’s why we asked the court not to play it. This is horrific. I don’t know how the prosecutors, she’s watched it 100 times. It’s horrific."

Matthews said Smith has had the video for over two months, but Smith fired back that she doesn't have the video and has never seen it. Moreover, Smith said that she has to go into the prosecutors' office to see it, and she hasn't because it’s not relevant to the case.

McDonald then said, "I’m not having a fight with her, I just want to make a record."

Matthews said she's trying to give everyone a fair trial and that if any testimony is too much, that they at least try to step out of the courtroom.

"The walls are cardboard in here," Matthews said. "Everyone here is human. Everyone here is human, I understand that. I’m striving really hard to give both sides a fair trial, and if people don’t at least try to check themselves, to exit if it’s that excruciating, which I know it is. I’m not a robot. I’m trying to keep myself from sobbing. I’ll do it at 6 o’clock tonight."

Jennifer Crumbley and her husband James Crumbley were each charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the deadly Oxford school shooting committed by their son, Ethan Crumbley. James' trial will start on March 5, according to court documents.

If convicted on all charges, each parent faces up to 60 years in prison. They are being held in the Oakland County Jail on $500,000 bond each. The couple's son was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in December for the deadly shooting.

New lawyers for Ethan Crumbley have appealed his life sentence and don't want him testifying in his parents' trials. Ethan is currently on the witness list for "at least one" of his parents' trials, according to court documents.

The four students killed in the shooting were 14-year-old Hana St. Juliana, 16-year-old Tate Myre, 17-year-old Madisyn Baldwin and 17-year-old Justin Shilling.