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Verdict in for James Crumbley, father of Oxford High School shooter
(CBS DETROIT) – A jury has returned a verdict in the trial of James Crumbley, the father of the Oxford High School shooter.
Jury deliberations began on Wednesday after a nearly week-long trial to determine if the father holds any responsibility for the Oxford High School shooting, where his son killed four students, Justin Shilling, Madisyn Baldwin, Tate Myre, and Hana St. Juliana, and injured seven other people on Nov. 30, 2021.
Crumbley is charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter and is accused of not keeping the gun used in the shooting safely stored away and not getting his son the necessary help for his mental health needs.
Defense attorney Mariell Lehman argued that James Crumbley was not aware that his son had access to the gun.
This comes after a jury found his wife, Jennifer Crumbley, guilty of four counts of involuntary manslaughter in February. She is scheduled to be sentenced on April 9.
Closing arguments in James Crumbley trial
Closing arguments began on March 13, after the defense called Karen Crumbley, the sister of James Crumbley, to testify. She was the only witness the defense called to the stand.
Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald gave her closing argument and said that James Crumbley needs to be held responsible for the Oxford High School shooting due to his gross negligence. James Crumbley is accused of not safely storing the gun away from his son or getting his son the help he needed for his mental health struggles.
“James Crumbley is not on trial for what his son did,” McDonald said. “James Crumbley is on trial for what he did and what he didn’t do.”
Defense attorney Mariell Lehman argued that he was not aware that his son had access to the gun or was going to carry out the shooting. She also said the father wouldn’t have known what the shooter was writing in his journal or in text messages to his friend.
Testimony in James Crumbley trial
During the trial, the prosecution called several witnesses to testify. Most individuals called to the stand also testified during Jennifer Crumbley’s trial.
The first person called to testify was Molly Darnell, a teacher at Oxford High School who was injured in the shooting. She testified about how she made eye contact with the shooter before he shot her.
The shooter’s school counselor and the former Oxford High School dean of students both testified about meeting with James and Jennifer Crumbley and their son the day of the shooting, and detectives who responded to the scene of the shooting testified about searching the Crumbley parents’ house and searching for the parents after charges had been issued.
Luke Kirtley, the owner of a coffee roasting business, testified about how he called 911 after he saw James Crumbley’s car.
The parents were found in an art studio in the same building as Kirtley’s business.
A Detroit police officer was the only person the prosecution called to testify that they didn’t call to testify in the trial of Jennifer Crumbley.
David Metzke is a member of the department’s SWAT team and discussed responding to the industrial building and locating the parents in the art studio. He was recalled to testify on Wednesday and said that he reviewed surveillance footage after finding the parents and said that James and Jennifer Crumbley did not leave the premises of the building after arriving; they had only stepped outside to smoke.
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Georgia Supreme Court won’t step in to reinstate controversial election rules
Georgia’s Supreme Court rejected a Republican-led effort to implement more than half a dozen controversial new election rules before Election Day.
In a brief order issued Tuesday, the court declined to reinstate the seven new rules implemented by the State Election Board, and declined to consider an expedited appeal — effectively ending the effort to get the new rules in place in time for the upcoming election.
A lower level Georgia judge on Oct. 16 declared the rules “illegal, unconstitutional and void.” The rules, which include one that requires ballots to be hand-counted and two related to certification of results, were supported by three of the State Election Board’s five members, all of whom were endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
President Biden defeated Trump in the state in 2020, and Trump has since repeated disproven claims that fraud cost him the election.
The new rules were opposed by not just Democrats, but also state Republican officials who cast doubt on whether they were legal. They said a hand count could delay election results, and argued in court that it was too late to properly train election workers on the new responsibilities.
Other rules passed by the board — include one that would have required county officials “to examine all election related documentation created during the conduct of elections,” a potentially laborious process — and another that would have required them to conduct a “reasonable inquiry” before certifying results. That rule did not explain what a “reasonable inquiry” entails.
The Georgia Supreme Court didn’t outright reject the appeal. In the order Tuesday, the court said it is declining to fast forward proceedings.
“When the appeal is docketed in this court, it will proceed in the ordinary course,” the justices wrote.
CBS News
Georgia Supreme Court won’t step in to reinstate controversial election rules
Georgia’s Supreme Court rejected a Republican-led effort to implement more than half a dozen controversial new election rules before Election Day.
In a brief order issued Tuesday, the court declined to reinstate the seven new rules implemented by the State Election Board, and declined to consider an expedited appeal — effectively ending the effort to get the new rules in place in time for the upcoming election.
A lower level Georgia judge on Oct. 16 declared the rules “illegal, unconstitutional and void.” The rules, which include one that requires ballots to be hand-counted and two related to certification of results, were supported by three of the State Election Board’s five members, all of whom were endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
President Biden defeated Trump in the state in 2020, and Trump has since repeated disproven claims that fraud cost him the election.
The new rules were opposed by not just Democrats, but also state Republican officials who cast doubt on whether they were legal. They said a hand count could delay election results, and argued in court that it was too late to properly train election workers on the new responsibilities.
Other rules passed by the board — include one that would have required county officials “to examine all election related documentation created during the conduct of elections,” a potentially laborious process — and another that would have required them to conduct a “reasonable inquiry” before certifying results. That rule did not explain what a “reasonable inquiry” entails.
The Georgia Supreme Court didn’t outright reject the appeal. In the order Tuesday, the court said it is declining to fast forward proceedings.
“When the appeal is docketed in this court, it will proceed in the ordinary course,” the justices wrote.
CBS News
Thousands of duloxetine bottles, an antidepressant sold as Cymbalta, recalled over toxic chemical
Thousands of bottles of the antidepressant duloxetine, which is sold under the brand name Cymbalta, have been recalled due to the presence of a toxic chemical, according to a notice from the Food and Drug Administration.
The October 10 recall is due to the presence of N-nitroso-duloxetine, a chemical that is toxic if swallowed and is suspected of causing cancer, according to the National Library of Medicine. The FDA classified the recall as Class II, which means that the drug could cause “temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences.”
The medication, manufactured by Towa Pharmaceutical Europe, was distributed nationally throughout the U.S., according to the recall notice.
Towa and the FDA didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
Duloxetine recall
The recall covers 7,107 bottles of duloxetine, the FDA said. The bottles include 500 delayed-release 20mg capsules. The lot number is 220128, with an expiration date of 12/2024.
Duloxetine, a selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), is prescribed for anxiety and depression, and can also be used to treat nerve pain for people with diabetes, the Mayo Clinic notes. It’s also used for people with fibromyalgia and chronic pain related to bones and muscles, it adds.