Parents of accused school shooter back in court next month
DETROIT — The parents of the accused Oxford High School shooter are expected to be arraigned March 8 in Oakland County Circuit Court on involuntary manslaughter charges.
James and Jennifer Crumbley were ordered this week to stand trial in connection with the Nov. 30 rampage by 52-3 District Court Judge Julie Nicholson following a preliminary hearing held over two days in February.
Their son, 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley, is charged as an adult with multiple felony counts, including first-degree murder and terrorism. Four students were killed in the shooting and six other students and a teacher were wounded.
The couple is set to be arraigned at 1 p.m. on March 8 before Oakland County Circuit Judge Cheryl A. Matthews. Defense attorneys for the parents said they intend to file with the court to waive the arraignments, which could move their next court appearance to a March 15 pretrial hearing.
Oakland County prosecutors have argued that Crumbley's parents were distracted and unconcerned as their son's behavior spiraled. Prosecutors also accuse the couple of failing to secure a handgun purchased for the teen as a Christmas gift just days before the shooting.
—The Detroit News
Judge to allow cameras during Jussie Smollett sentencing
CHICAGO — The alleged hoax attack on actor Jussie Smollett may not have been caught on camera, but his upcoming sentencing in a Cook County courtroom will be.
Reversing his previous order, Judge James Linn on Friday ruled that news cameras will be allowed into his courtroom at the Leighton Criminal Court Building when Smollett is sentenced on March 10.
Cameras had been barred during the actor’s high-profile trial last year. Linn also had initially denied a request for cameras at sentencing, but changed his mind after a hearing Thursday at which an attorney representing local news stations urged him to reconsider.
“We believe this case is of critical importance to the public — it developed not only local but worldwide interest,” attorney Steven Mandell said in court Thursday, arguing that increased transparency can help ensure trust in the justice system.
Smollett’s attorneys, by contrast, argued that reporters were able to cover the trial extensively without the benefit of cameras, and after all, the case only involved low-level felony charges.
A jury convicted Smollett in December on five out of six counts of disorderly conduct, a Class 4 felony. Prosecutors said he falsely reported to police that he was a victim of a hate crime attack in the early morning hours of Jan. 29, 2019.
—Chicago Tribune
Oklahoma Sen. Inhofe confirms he’ll resign in January
WASHINGTON — Oklahoma Sen. James M. Inhofe said Friday he would resign from the Senate next year, prompting a scramble to fill the seat in a solidly red state ahead of a June 28 primary.
Inhofe, 87, made the announcement to supporters in the Oklahoma History Center by phone because he has a mild case of COVID-19. The phone was in front of a microphone on a lectern as his chief of staff — whom the senator wants to be his successor — stood by.
“I will be leaving the United States Senate on the third of January,” Inhofe said. “Nothing is going to change, as far as I’m concerned, until almost a year from now.”
Inhofe said he and his wife, Kay, were moving on to other things.
Inhofe endorsed Luke Holland, his chief of staff, saying he was a “good friend” and “a very, very knowledgeable person who’s been really kind of running our office for a long time.”
Inhofe won a fifth term in 2020, and his resignation will mean a second Senate race this year in the Sooner State, where Republican Sen. James Lankford is also up for reelection.
—CQ-Roll Call
Widely recognized Capitol rioter from Florida gets jail time
MIAMI — Adam Johnson became one of the most recognizable faces of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol after a photo of him smiling with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s lectern went viral. On Friday, he was sentenced.
Johnson, from Parrish, in Manatee County, will serve 75 days in prison with credit for time served, Senior U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton ruled Friday.
Adam Johnson, who was facing multiple charges, pleaded guilty on Nov. 22 to one count of entering or remaining in any restricted building after accepting a plea deal. The other charges were dismissed.
The father of five boys will be allowed to turn himself in.
“What do you do to send a message to the American public that yes, it’s fine to protest, but it’s totally reprehensible and must be sanctioned if you do something to undermine the fundamental fabric of this country, which is what happened on Jan. 6th of last year,” Walton said. “That’s the hard challenge I have. ... How can you call yourself a good role model for those five boys when you come up and do something like this?”
Johnson is one of more than 750 people who have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to Jan. 6, when thousands of people stormed the Capitol in hopes of blocking the certification of the presidential election. Florida leads the nation in the number of arrests.
—Miami Herald
