Jennifer Crumbley's trial begins Thursday after jury selected
PONTIAC, Mich. (FOX 2) - A jury has been selected in the trial of Jennifer Crumbley, the mother of the Oxford High School shooter who has been charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter.
Seventeen jurors were selected, with five picked to be alternates, while 12 others will be seated for Crumbley's trial. Opening arguments are expected Thursday morning in Judge Cheryl Matthews' courtroom in Pontiac.
FOX 2 will stream the entire trial starting at 9 a.m. on Thursday.
The two-day jury selection started Tuesday morning with the first group of jurors brought in around noon that day. Over the course of the afternoon, potential jurors were questioned about their stance on specific topics including guns, mental health, and more.
After more than a dozen dismissals by the judge, prosecution, and defense, a jury of 12 with five alternates was seated around 2:40 p.m.
ROCHESTER HILLS, MI - DECEMBER 14: Jennifer Crumbley appears in 52nd District Court for a probable cause conference in the case of the Oxford High School mass shooting December 14, 2021 in Rochester Hills, Michigan. James and Jennifer Crumbley, the p
The jurors include 10 women and seven men, many of who who have kids. Many others also own guns and are avid hunters. Both were some of the most frequent questions asked by attorneys.
- A woman grew up in a family that hunted, whose guns were always locked up and away from kids.
- A compliance specialist with one adult kid who works as a public teacher. She is the only juror to have previously served on a jury
- A family medicine physician who worked in urgent care and said he's no stranger to gun violence. He also owns firearms.
- An auto engineer with children and a cousin who works as a police officer
- An elementary school teacher with three kids
- A logistics worker who owns several guns and is an avid hunter.
- A former police officer who owns a gun for personal protection.
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Both days included themes of mental health and firearms, with prosecutor Karen McDonald and defense attorney Shannon Smith focusing on how jurors' feelings toward many of the topics expected to come up during the trial.
The first day of jury selection saw a few people dismissed over concerns their feelings about guns could bias their judging of the case.
The second day stretched further into areas of the case, including jurors' feelings of parental responsibility for their kid's actions.
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Guns dominate first day of jury selection
More than once, questions for jurors about their background and feelings about elements of the case landed on firearms and people's feelings about them. While some were gun owners themselves, many others felt strongly against them.
Owning weapons, using them for personal protection, and how one comes to possessing a gun were all themes that people sitting in the jury box discussed. Some said their feelings would make it hard to be fair and impartial during the case.
Four people were excluded from the pool based on their answers.
Another person was excluded based on their ties to the Oxford High School shooter, while two others were excused for scheduling conflicts.
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On Wednesday, mental health largely dominated the questions – with the jurors being asked what is appropriate for parents when monitoring their kids.
Another topic that came up was parenting style, specifically, what is considered hovering.
One juror didn't believe in "hovering" over kids to parent them, but escalating care when needed.
All told, six jurors were dismissed on Wednesday, bringing the total number to 14.
A trial with media coverage
The Oxford High School shooting has dominated stretches of the news ever since it happened in late 2021.
The latest high-profile court proceeding was the shooter's sentencing. The teen pleaded guilty to murder and terrorism before being sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
As is the case with other trials, the judge cautioned people selected for the jury pool against including what they've read about the incident when considering their thoughts on Crumbley's innocence.
"You've heard lots of things about the shooting, but very little about this case," Judge Matthews said late Tuesday.
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Jury selection
A total of 12 jurors will be selected, along with five alternates for Crumbley's trial.
About 340 people were selected for the pool. They'll go through a rigorous selection process that includes a questionnaire each will fill out first.
Based on their answers, they'll either be directed toward the courtroom or their day will be done after being automatically excluded.
The courtroom will seat 50 potential jurors at a time, who will then be questioned by the judge as well as attorneys from the prosecution and defense.
A court staff attorney said it could be a very unpredictable process.