Lawyers from the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office have filed a motion in court to ban the parents of Michigan school shooter Ethan Crumbley from making romantic gestures like blowing kisses or mouthing "I love you" to each during their court appearances.
Jennifer and James Crumbley have been attending virtual and in-person court hearings since they were charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter related to their son's attack at the Oxford High School in Michigan in November.
However, the prosecutors said that the parents of the Michigan school shooter appear to be "making a mockery" of the court and the crimes they are accused of because of their courtroom behavior, per NBC News. Jennifer and James would blow kisses or mouth "I love you" to each other while the legal proceedings were ongoing.
It's Traumatic for the Victims' Families
David Williams, the Oakland County Chief Assistant Prosecutor, said that the behavior of Ethan's parents "disparages the integrity" of the court. It's also triggering and traumatic for the families who have lost their loved ones in the school shooting. He said that these actions are distracting in court, where families are pursuing justice for the deaths of their sons and daughters.
Jennifer and James made at least three romantic gestures to each other during the hearings. In their first appearance in court, James mouthed "I love you" to his wife and made another non-verbal gesture when they left the courtroom, per Fox 2 Detroit.
James repeated the same romantic gestures during their bond hearing online, and Jennifer reciprocated by mouthing "I love you" to her husband. She also waived at James when the online meeting ended. There was also an instance when Jennifer and James made several love signals by blowing kisses to each other in the middle of a breakout session on Zoom.
However, a couple of veteran defense attorneys, who are not part of the case, told The Detroit News that the motion is "ludicrous." Jerome Sabbota said that if Ethan's parents were mouthing words to each other during the breakout session, they would not disrupt the legal proceedings. He also said that Jennifer and James have the right to communicate however they want since they have not yet been convicted.
The parents of the Michigan school shooter are accused of making the gun accessible to their teenage son, who used this to open fire at Oxford High School. Four students died on the scene, while seven other kids and a teacher were injured.
The Crumbleys are also liable for not doing something when Ethan demonstrated troubling behaviors. Jennifer and James have entered a plea of "not guilty."
Ethan to Claim Insanity as His Defense
Meanwhile, lawyers of Ethan said he would plead insanity for the murder and terrorism charges against him. The 15-year-old sophomore student will undergo an assessment from the Center for Forensic Psychiatry to evaluate his responsibility for the crime. The prosecutors said that the defense expected this since the assessment is standard procedure.
The parents are expected back in court on Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, followed by Ethan two weeks later. Jennifer and James are held in different jails for a bond of $500,000 each.
