A judge ordered the parents of the Michigan school shooting suspect to stop mouthing 'I love you' at each other in court

• A judge granted a motion to bar the parents of the suspected Oxford school shooter from making loving gestures in court.
• James and Jennifer Crumbley face charges of involuntary manslaughter.

A judge ordered the parents of the Michigan school shooting suspect on Tuesday to stop making loving gestures to one another in court.

Prosecutors had filed a motion in Oakland County District Court last week to bar James and Jennifer Crumbley from communicating with each other in court. Prosecutors alleged that both parents mouthed the words, "I love you" to each other during two separate court hearings.

During a pre-trial hearing on Tuesday, Judge Julie Nicholson told the Crumbley's that they are "not to be in communication with each other" during in-person court proceedings.

"It's disruptive and it is disrespectful," Judge Nicholson said in court.

James and Jennifer Crumbley both face charges of involuntary manslaughter. Prosecutors accused them of buying the handgun used in the shooting for their son as an apparent Christmas present.

Their teen son is accused of carrying out the Oxford High School shooting, killing four people and injuring seven on November 30.

Both parents face up to 60 years in prison and $30,000 in fines if convicted on all counts.

According to prosecutors, James Crumbley mouthed "what appeared to be 'I love you' " to Jennifer Crumbley during an in-person hearing on December 14.

Jennifer Crumbley mouthed the same words to her husband on a later hearing via Zoom, according to the prosecutor's motion.

Prosecutors said in the motion that the Crumbley's loving gestures to each other in court made "a mockery of the crimes they are accused of committing."

"The courtroom is not a place for blowing kisses and sending secret signals," Oakland County Chief Assistant Prosecutor David Williams said in a statement to Insider's Natalie Musumeci at the time. "This is a time for families to pursue justice."

David said in court on Tuesday that the motion "speaks for itself" when he asked Judge Nicholson to approve it.

The Crumbleys defense attorneys fired back that the two parents "did not realize that their communication was being broadcasted" during court hearings held on Zoom. The defense said that the Crumbley's "certainly didn't intend to offend any of the victims from Oxford and for that, we apologize."