OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – A judge has denied a motion seeking to remove and disqualify Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald from Jennifer Crumbley’s case.
Oakland County Judge Cheryl Matthews denied the request to remove the prosecutor and appoint a special prosecutor because “it lacks jurisdiction to decide the Motion and defers to the appellate court’s jurisdiction.”
“Today’s ruling underscores our commitment to the fight for justice on behalf of the Oxford victims,” said McDonald. “The court showed it has no tolerance for the defense’s misuse of the legal process, and they have been appropriately sanctioned. Let’s be clear about what this case is really about: If not for Jennifer Crumbley’s actions, Madisyn, Tate, Hana, and Justin would still be here. I will never stop fighting for them.”
The court found that the motion was filed for an improper purpose and imposed sanctions on the defense counsel for violating court rules regarding the filing of documents.
This comes after Jennifer Crumbley’s lawyer filed the 178-motion earlier this month, which was one of the several motions filed by Crumbley as she seeks a new trial.
It accused McDonald of suppressing secret agreements with two key witnesses and said that the prosecutor’s office hired two public relations firms to conduct a smear campaign against Jennifer and James Crumbley, aiming to sway public opinion and taint the jury pool.
“She did so by using taxpayer-funded public relations firms that were hired in secret by the prosecutor’s office, and they hired the first one of those PR firms within hours of the shooting,” Jennifer Crumbley’s attorney, Michael Dezsi had said.
McDonald had expressed her frustration with the motion, asserting the Crumbley’s actions speak for themselves.
“We don’t need a smear campaign to convict Jennifer Crumbley. Her actions convicted Jennifer Crumbley. And to top it all off, she then testifies she wouldn’t change a thing,” McDonald said.
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