Judge denies James Crumbley’s effort to move trial out of Oakland County – By Tresa Baldas (Detroit Free Press) / Feb 23, 2024
A judge has denied James Crumbley’s request for a change of venue, concluding the father of the Oxford school shooter can get a fair trial in Oakland County over his alleged role in the 2021 massacre.
However, the judge did not completely close the door on the matter, adding that Crumbley can renew his request for change of venue “during jury selection if necessary.”
Crumbley has argued that the heightened publicity of his son’s case and his wife’s trial — which ended in her conviction earlier this month — has tainted the jury pool in Oakland County and prejudiced too many people against him. His lawyer, Mariell Lehman, also has argued that too many people in Oakland County have been impacted by the deadly shooting, connected to either the families of the victims, others in the school or first responders, and that local jurors may feel compelled to convict.
