An Oakland County judge has denied a motion filed by Jennifer Crumbley's attorney to remove Prosecutor Karen McDonald from her case in the Oxford High School shooting.

Circuit Court Judge Cheryl Matthews wrote that the court does not have jurisdiction to decide whether McDonald should be removed from the case. However, Matthews' said that attorney Michael Deszi's motion to disqualify the prosecutor was filed "for an improper purpose and is not warranted by existing law."

"Some of the grounds raised in the Motion to allegedly support disqualification are also asserted in the Motion for Judgment of Acquittal and/or for New Trial and a decision on those issues was pending when the Motion was filed. This duplication creates unnecessary overlap and redundancy," Matthews wrote.

Matthews, who is also overseeing Crumbley's appeal, sanctioned Deszi for the money spent filing the latest motion.

Dezsi filed the motion in March, alleging that the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office spent thousands of dollars on two public relations firms to run a "smear campaign." Deszi also alleged that prosecutors entered "secret agreements" with two school officials who testified at James and Crumbley's separate trials.

In response, the prosecutor's office called Jennifer Crumbley's motion "meritless" and requested that the court sanction Crumbley's defense team. Prosecutors said the firms were hired with the approval from the county executive and Board of Commissioners to help with media inquiries.

CBS News Detroit reached out to Deszi for comment but has not heard back.

McDonald issued the following statement on Tuesday: "Today's ruling underscores our commitment to the fight for justice on behalf of the Oxford victims. The court showed it has no tolerance for the defense's misuse of the legal process, and they have been appropriately sanctioned. Let's be clear about what this case is really about: If not for Jennifer Crumbley's actions, Madisyn, Tate, Hana, and Justin would still be here. I will never stop fighting for them"

James and Jennifer Crumbley were each charged and convicted of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the Nov. 30, 2021, deadly shooting at Oxford High School. The couple's son, Ethan Crumbley, was sentenced to life in prison for the shooting.

In February, James Crumbley's attorney, Alona Sharon, filed a motion, arguing that Crumbley did not get a fair trial. 

Sharon also requested that the court grant a Ginther Hearing, which grants a defendant a hearing of evidence if they claim their attorney was inadequate or disinterested during their case and that they had an ineffective legal counsel.