The parents of a Michigan kid accused of a fatal school shooting are pleading with a court to reduce their bond and assist them in being released from custody.
James and Jennifer Crumbley have been in detention since December 4, unable to come up with the $500,000 required to be released and stand trial for involuntary manslaughter.
Lawyers for the Crumbleys stated in a court filing that they are not a danger to the public and that they will wear electronic monitoring devices. Judge Cheryl Matthews of Oakland County will hear arguments on a request to reduce the bond to $100,000 apiece on Tuesday.
Ethan Crumbley, who will turn 16 next Tuesday, is accused of murder and other offenses. On Nov. 30, a shooting at Oxford High School resulted in the deaths of four pupils and the injuries of many more.
The parents are accused of failing to secure a gun at home and failing to care for their son appropriately when he showed signs of mental illness. They have entered a not-guilty plea.
“The Crumbleys were absolutely shocked parents who had no reason to foresee what would happen,” defense attorneys Shannon Smith and Mariell Lehman wrote.
A reduced bond for the Crumbleys is opposed by the Oakland County prosecutor’s office, which notes that a similar request was denied by a judge in a lower court.
