(WWJ) — On Tuesday Jennifer Crumbley was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in connection with her son's deadly shooting rampage at Oxford High School in November 2021.
While she now faces the possibility of substantial prison time, one question remains unanswered: what does this verdict mean for parents across the country going forward?
On a new Daily J podcast WWJ's Zach Clark hears from legal experts on what the landmark case means for the future, having been the first criminal trial for the parents of a high school shooter in relation to their child's actions.
"This is a case of historical magnitude," said Tonya Krause-Phelan, Associate Dean of Academics and criminal law professor at Cooley Law School. "It has garnered a lot of attention from lawmakers, to law watchers, to the general public, not just in Michigan, but across the country and across the world."
With so many eyes on the trial, many are now wondering, what does the guilty verdict mean? In simple terms, if a child commits a crime, it allows for the blame and punishment to be doled out beyond just the child.
"The big picture here is if you are a parent listening to this and you've got a kid that may be troubled, you better get that kid help, you better recognize the problem, take away any violent videos and absolutely don't give that kid a gun," said WWJ Legal Analyst Charlie Langton.
While tragic school shootings across the U.S. often lead to legislative debates, Langton says while that is certainly part of the picture, "most of the time when the crime involves a minor, you've got to look to the parents."
But how far should that be taken? That's definitely the question on the mind of Krause-Phelan.
"I think the general public, as we want to do, we start asking 'what if?' What if I know my teenage son, an inexperienced driver, likes to speed? I can take the car away from him, but if one night after I've gone to bed, he takes the car keys and goes out and he's speeding and he kills someone? Am I liable because I did not hide the keys from him?"
She says it's "a natural reaction" for people to take this situation to a "logical extreme."
"How far down the possible events are we going to carry this kind of criminal responsibility? Time is going to tell," she said.
Crumbley is scheduled to be sentenced in April.
Legal experts are expecting Crumbley's verdict to be appealed. Her husband, James Crumbley, is scheduled to go on trial at the beginning of March, also facing four counts of involuntary manslaughter.
Their son Ethan, who opened fire inside Oxford High School Nov. 30, 2021, killing four students — Madisyn Baldwin, Justin Shilling, Tate Myre and Hana St. Juliana — was sentenced last year to life in prison without the possibility of parole. His sentence is also expected to be appealed.
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