James and Jennifer Crumbley need to stop blowing kisses and secret signals in court, prosecutor says
PONTIAC, Mich. - No more blowing kisses and no more secret signals.
That's the directive that the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office wrote in a Wednesday court filing regarding the conduct of James and Jennifer Crumbley, parents of accused Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley.
The prosecution says the communications didn't just "disparage" the court system, but were "a serious distraction" and "tramuatic for the family members" of the victims involved in the shooting.
"Mr. & Mrs. Crumbley’s conduct in court makes a mockery of the crimes they are accused of committing. The courtroom is not a place for blowing kisses and sending secret signals. This is a time for families to pursue justice," read a statement from the prosecutor's office.
The Wednesday filing said the Crumbley couple's actions included one instance where James appears to mouth ‘I love you’ to Jennifer during their first appearance in court.
"Defendants continued to mouth additional words between each other while the attorneys were at the bench. And when defendant Jennifer Crumbley exited the courtroom at the end of the hearing, there was additional nonverbal communication between her and defendant James Crumbley," read the motion, which was filed by Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Markeisha Washington.
Washington cited another instance on Jan. 7 during a bond reduction motion when both Crumbleys remained on screen while attorneys held a breakout session. During that time, both Crumbleys used signals with their hands while Jennifer mouthed ‘I love you’ and waived at James.
Both parents face four counts of involuntary manslaughter after their son allegedly shot up a school, killing four students and injuring others. Ethan Crumbley faces terrorism and first-degree murder charges. They have all pleaded not guilty.
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In another case, both Crumbley couples could be seen making signals to each other while they were alone on the same Zoom call.
Each defendant is being held on $500,000 bond as they await their next court appearance, which is scheduled for next week.