Oakland Co. Judge Hears Arguments As Jennifer Crumbley Seeks New Trial

OAKLAND COUNTY, MI — A judge is weighing whether to grant Jennifer Crumbley a new trial after arguments Friday inside an Oakland County courtroom.

Oakland County Judge Cheryl Matthews listen to arguments from defense lawyers and prosecutors over possible discovery violations prosecutors made with witnesses before Crumbely's trial.

Crumbley's attorney Michael Dezsi argues Crumbley should be acquitted or granted a new trial because prosecutors did not share proffer agreements they signed with school officials for their testimony at her trial, interfering with her right to a fair trial.

Dezsi said that the school officials, Nick Ejak, who at the time was Oxford High School's former dean of students and then-Oxford counselor, Shawn Hopkins, would not have testified during Crumbley's trial without the proffer agreement.

Dezsi argued the agreements allowed Ejak and Hopkins to make "subjective" statements with immunity.

"When you have an issue situation like this, these witnesses are going to do what they need to do. They're going to say, ‘Oh, I think they want me to be a little bit more helpful, I think they want me to establish this fact a little better,’" Dezsi said.

Prosecutors denied they offered any school officials immunity, though they did say anything Ejak and Hopkins said during their testimony would not be used against them if they are ever charged in connection with the deadly shooting.

Moreover, prosecutors said they weren't required to share the agreements and that Crumbley was convicted based on her actions, and not what Ejak and Hopkins said.

"Jennifer Crumbley was convicted based upon her level of gross negligence because she was the cause of these four deaths and because what her son did was reasonably foreseeable to her. Nobody else. Her," Oakland County Prosecutor Marc Keast said. "Their subjective thoughts and views of that meeting have zero bearing on this case."

While Matthews agreed with prosecutors that other evidence aside from testimonies from Ejak and Hopkins played a greater role in the conviction, she did say that she is "very" concerned that prosecutors did not share the proffer agreements they made with the school officials.

"So, why didn’t the prosecution provide that information," Matthews said regarding the proffer agreements. "Maybe we wouldn’t be here."

Matthews then asked Dezsi that if she agrees there may have been a violation in the case, what would the remedy be?

Dezsi said he wants an acquittal.

"Do you really think I’m going to do that," Matthews said.

"No, but I want you to because I think you should," Dezsi responded. "The violation of the discovery rule in this case was intentional."

Matthews will review the arguments made Friday and issue a written ruing at a later date.

Matthews had already denied most of Crumbley's claims in her request for an acquittal or new trial on Thursday prior to the court hearing. Those claims were based on that she owed no legal duty to the victims of the shooting and that she had an ineffective lawyer.

Matthews found that Crumbley does own a duty to protect Oxford students, alongside the school officials. She also found Crumbley failed to show that her trial attorney was ineffective.

On Feb. 6, Crumbley was convicted of four counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the deadly Oxford school shooting that happened on Nov. 30, 2021. She became the first parent ever charged and convicted in connection with a school shooting. She sentenced to 10-15 years in prison, the maximum for involuntary manslaughter in Michigan.

Crumbley has appealed that conviction, and it could eventually end up in front of the Michigan Supreme Court, but that will likely take years.

Her husband, James Crumbley, was also convicted of four counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the shooting and was also sentenced to 10-15 years in prison.

Ethan Crumbley, James and Jennifer's son, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the deadly shooting that left four students dead and several others wounded. He recently asked for a new trial, but an Oakland County judge rejected that request, stating his "plea was knowingly, voluntarily, and accurately given."

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