James and Jennifer Crumbley's request for Michigan Supreme Court to review Oxford shooting case denied
OXFORD, Mich. (FOX 2) - The Michigan Supreme Court denied a request to hear James and Jennifer Crumbley's case stemming from the Oxford High School shooting.
Both are charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter after their son killed four students at the school on Nov. 30, 2021. The parents are accused of buying their son the weapon used in the shooting and failing to address his mental health concerns.
When their son pleaded guilty to all charges against him last year, he admitted that he gave James money to buy the gun.
Defense attorneys have argued that whatever the parents did might have been considered bad parenting, but it was not the cause of the deaths, and they want the case thrown out because they aren't responsible for the actions of their son.
In March, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled that there was enough evidence to try James and Jennifer, so they took their request to the Supreme Court a few months later. They were asking the court to hear the motion and dismiss charges against them.
If the court had agreed to hear it, details from the preliminary examination and other court proceedings would have been debated. However, since this was denied the appeals court ruling stands.
No court date for the criminal case to proceed.
This ruling comes days after a judge ruled that the couple's son could spend life in prison without parole for the shooting. Because he is a minor, relevant facts such as his age needed to be considered before he could automatically receive a sentence that didn't include parole.
He will be sentenced Dec. 8.
Read more Oxford High School shooting coverage.