Jennifer Crumbley's attorney says prosecution orchestrated smear campaign, spent $100k on PR firms
(FOX 2) - The defense attorney for the mother of the Oxford High School shooter accused prosecutors who tried her case of orchestrating a smear campaign against Jennifer Crumbley, a new filing claims.
The Monday filing from attorney Michael Dezsi also claimed Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald's team "suppressed" agreements it made with two witnesses that testified during the trial of the Crumbley parents, which undermines "the entire trial and verdict in this case."
What we know:
On Monday, Jennifer Crumbley's attorney filed a new motion that made multiple claims against prosecutors.
Attorney Michael Dezsi's claims against the prosecution include:
- McDonald's team retained two public relations firms to smear the defendant's name
- That they violated a gag order by opening up access to media outlets to shadow trial preparation
- The prosecutors withheld information about deals it made with school officials that were called during last year's trial
Counselor Shawn Hopkins and dean of students Nick Ejak both entered pre-trial agreements that prosecutors failed to disclose, Dezsi said in the Monday filing.
He also wrote that prosecutors spent $100,000 retaining PR firms for a "public smear campaign" despite a judge prohibiting "pre-trial publicity."
The other side:
The Oakland County Prosecutor's office rejected the argument that stories from national media outlets had influenced the jury pool.
"The two stories defense counsel references came out after the jury verdicts, not before, and the suggestion that they had any impact on the jury is ridiculous," wrote chief Assistant Prosecutor David Williams.
In regards to having a clear message, Williams said the county government "provided the resources needed to get reliable information to the public and the media. We owed that to the victims and the public."
What's next:
Jennifer Crumbley appealed her conviction last year and in December, her attorney demanded she be released from prison.
Repeating the argument he made in December, Crumbley's attorney argued her conviction was based on a faulty understanding of the law.
In Monday's case, he claimed Crumbley "owed no legal duty" to keep people safe from the actions of her child.
Oxford High School shooter's mom Jennifer Crumbley wants out of prison
As Jennifer Crumbley, the mother of the Oxford High School shooter, works to appeal her sentence, her attorney is demanding she be released from prison.