James Crumbley Wants A New Trial: Here's Where Things Stand After Friday's Hearing

PONTIAC, MI — A judge is weighing whether to grant James Crumbley a new trial. He is the father of Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley.

Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Cheryl Matthews listened to arguments Friday inside a courtroom. The arguments centered on possible discovery violations prosecutors made during the trials and a potential violation of Ethan Crumbley's Fifth Amendment right.

The hearing comes just days after Matthews refused to remove Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald from Jennifer Crumbely's case and sanctioned her lawyers for filing the motion that she said was brought "for an improper purpose" and was unwarranted.

Proffer Agreements

At the center of Crumbley's request is whether prosecutors withheld crucial information from a jury. Crumbley's lawyer, Alona Sharon, argued prosecutors did not share proffer agreements they signed with school officials for their testimony at his trial.

She claimed the school officials, former Oxford High School dean Nick Ejak and then-Oxford counselor Shawn Hopkins, would not have testified during Crumbley's trial without the proffer agreement.

Matthews did indicate during a January hearing for Jennifer Crumbley that she is concerned prosecutors did not share witness agreements with defense lawyers before the trial.

"What if I agree the prosecution violated the rules in regards to discovery," Matthews said Friday morning. "What is the remedy if there's a violation of the rules of discovery?"

Matthews added she "likely" thinks that prosecutors not sharing the proffer agreements with defense lawyers was a discovery violation.

Sharon responded by saying a new trial would be the only proper remedy for James Crumbley. She added it's the only way to ensure he had a fair trial.

"If the violation is intentional, if there is bad faith behind the violation for the purpose of gaining a tactical advantage, a severe sanction is warranted," Sharon said. "(James Crumbley) is seeking the one and only sanction that can right the wrong, that can make him whole, which is a new trial."

Prosecutors argued that Crumbley received a fair trial and that the proffer agreements for Ejak and Hopkins did not play a role in Crumbley's guilt, and they were not required to be turned over to the defense.

Moreover, prosecutors said the proffer agreements did not offer the school officials immunity, but that they were a way to get truthful information from the men under the promise that they wouldn’t use the information if charges were brought later on.

"James Crumbley was convicted for the decisions he made," Assistant Prosecutor Marc Keast said. "His decisions are why Madisyn Baldwin, Tate Myre, Hana St. Juliana and Justin Shilling are no longer here. It was James Crumbley's gross negligence. The evidence in this case was overwhelming."

Ethan's Fifth Amendment Right

In addition to the proffer agreements, Sharon also argues that Matthews did not properly question the shooter, Ethan Crumbley, about his right to remain silent if he were called as a witness during the trial.

When the topic came up before the trials, Matthews said Ethan Crumbley couldn't take the Fifth in front of a jury. While you cannot call a witness who will plead the Fifth, Matthews still encouraged the defense to file a motion, which they never did.

Matthews also believes there aren't any questions that could be asked that weren't already covered in his Miller hearing.

Despite that, Sharon argues that Ethan may have still testified because he couldn't further incriminate himself after he had already pleaded guilty to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Prosecutors argued that the shooter had a Fifth Amendment privilege to not testify at his father's trial and, regardless, his testimony would only have further solidified James Crumbley's guilt, which had been established beyond a reasonable doubt by the jury after reviewing the evidence.

Ethan invoked his Fifth Amendment right the day before Jennifer Crumbley's trial began in January 2024.

Where Things Stand

Matthews did not rule after arguments Friday, but hoped to issue an opinion within a month.

James Crumbley, was convicted of four counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the deadly Oxford school shooting and was sentenced to 10-15 years in prison. His wife, Jennifer Crumbley, was also convicted on the same charges and received the same sentence.

Like her husband, Jennifer has also appealed her conviction and wants a new trial.

Ethan Crumbley, the couple's son, did not testify at either of his parents' trials. He was sentenced to life in prison for multiple charges, including murder and terrorism, for the deadly carrying out the deadly shooting.

The four children killed in the shooting were: Hana St. Juliana, 14; Justin Shilling, 17; Tate Myre, 16; and Madisyn Baldwin, 16.

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