Jury selection continues in trial of James Crumbley, father of Oxford High School shooter
(CBS DETROIT) - Jury selection continued Wednesday in the trial of James Crumbley, the father of the Oxford High School shooter.
During the first day of jury selection Tuesday, two potential jurors were excused for medical reasons while the prosecution used one of its eight strikes to excuse a potential juror.
The trial comes after Jennifer Crumbley, the mother of the shooter, was found guilty of four counts of involuntary manslaughter last month.
James Crumbley has also been charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, as the parents are accused of making the gun used in the shooting accessible to their son and ignoring getting their son the necessary help for his mental health struggles.
Jury selection began Tuesday in an Oakland County court, despite the father's request to get his trial moved.
CBS News Detroit will stream live coverage of the trial.
Defense attorney Mariell Lehman argued that James Crumbley could not get a fair trial in Oakland County after Jennifer Crumbley's trial.
Oakland County Judge Cheryl Matthews denied this request.
The prosecution will be able to call one student who was injured in the Oxford High School shooting to testify during James Crumbley's trial.
On Feb. 21, the prosecution requested to call two witnesses to testify, who they identified as K.O. and R.F.
Both were minors at the time of the shooting but are not anymore.
These two students were in the hallway at the time of the shooting, and the prosecution said their testimony would be relevant because they could discuss what they witnessed when the shooter emerged from the bathroom and into the hallway during the shooting.
Matthews ruled that the prosecution will only be able to call one of the students to testify, but they could decide which student.
The witness who is chosen will not be able to give testimony on personal pain, emotional trauma or ongoing medical treatments because it is "not relevant to prove the elements of the crime of involuntary manslaughter," according to court documents.
In addition, the prosecution plans to call the previous owner of the gun used in the shooting to testify. He bought the gun in May 2021, used it three times, and then sold it back to the firearm store in November 2021, according to Assistant Prosecutor Marc Keast.
Matthews ruled that the previous gun owner will be able to testify, as his testimony about the condition of the cable lock could be relevant to the case.
After James Crumbley's trial comes Jennifer Crumbley's sentencing, which is scheduled for April 9. She was the first parent in the United States to go on trial in a mass U.S. school shooting.
The parents were charged in the shooting where their son killed four students, Justin Shilling, Madisyn Baldwin, Tate Myre, and Hana St. Juliana, and injured seven other people on Nov. 30, 2021.
Their son was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
