Prosecutors want the parents of the Michigan school shooting suspect to stop mouthing 'I love you' at each other in court
- Prosecutors accused the parents of the Michigan school shooting suspect of making a "mockery" of the court.
- The parents have been seen mouthing "I love you" to each other during their court apperances.
The parents of the Michigan school shooter suspect have been making a "mockery of the crimes they are accused of committing" by making loving gestures to each other in court, said prosecutors who asked a judge this week to force the couple to stop.
Prosecutors in the case of Jennifer and James Crumbley — who have been charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the deadly November 30 Oxford High School shooting — filed a motion this week, calling the Crumbley's romantic actions "inappropriate" and "offensive."
According to the motion, filed on Tuesday in Oakland County District Court, the Crumbleys apparently mouthed the words, "I love you" to each other during two separate recent court hearings in the case.
During an in-person hearing on December 14, James Crumbley, with his face mask partially pulled down, mouthed "what appeared to be 'I love you' " to his wife, the motion says.
"Defendants continued to mouth additional words between each other while the attorneys were at the bench," the court document states.
Last month, during a court hearing via Zoom, Jennifer Crumbley appeared to mouth "I love you" to her husband, waved at him, and "continued to signal and mouth words to him," prosecutors said.
"Mr. & Mrs. Crumbley's conduct in court makes a mockery of the crimes they are accused of committing," Oakland County Chief Assistant Prosecutor David Williams said in a statement to Insider. "The courtroom is not a place for blowing kisses and sending secret signals. This is a time for families to pursue justice."
Attorneys for Jennifer and James Crumbley did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Insider on Thursday.
Prosecutors said the Crumbleys' actions "not only disparage the integrity of the judicial proceedings as a serious distraction but are also traumatic for the family members of the deceased victims who are no longer able to express their love to the victims."
The prosecutor's motion notes that family members of the shooting victims "specifically asked whether and why these personal communications are allowed."
The Crumbleys' teenage son has been accused of killing four students and wounding seven others.
The Crumbleys were arrested hours after the shooting after they didn't show up in court and were found in an artist's building in Detroit. Prosecutors accused the couple of buying their son the gun used in the shooting, as well as letting their son stay in school on the day of the shooting after a teacher allegedly found a disturbing drawing he made.