Marc FellhauerTresa Baldas had a front-row seat for the Jennifer Crumbley trial and joins ML, Marc and Shawn to share her insights on an unprecedented case.
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ML makes a date with his wife, Detroit Free Press reporter Tresa Baldas, to join him in a basement with two other guys to discuss a murder case. How romantic!
Before the crew dives into the details of the Crumbley case, they reflect on the one-year anniversary of the mass shooting at Michigan State University, which robbed three families of wonderful young people and left several others injured and tens of thousands scarred.
Did James Crumbley gamble – and lose – by not trying to cut a plea deal before his wife’s trial ended in conviction? Tresa says the prosecutor declared early on that she would not offer a deal. Or at least not what you might consider a plea “bargain.”
Charging parents with manslaughter for their child’s crimes is unprecedented, but there were other unusual aspects of the Oxford High School shooting case. Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald arguing the case before a jury is just one of them. We discuss.
Did Jennifer Crumbley’s own words hurt her? Tresa shares her insights.
ML asks if Ethan Crumbley doomed his parents by refusing to testify in their case while appealing his life sentence. Tresa gives her take.
Jurors heard a lot about Jennifer Crumbley’s life, including testimony from her boyfriend. But they didn’t hear some key evidence. Tresa tells us what the jury couldn’t hear – and explains why they couldn’t hear it.
ML says the justice system is a lot like sports – both sides want to win – and how we shouldn’t expect the prosecution or defense to play fair.
This week’s episode provides so many insights and inside stories about the Crumbley case that ML didn’t get a chance to talk about his latest “On Guard” column for the Free Press, which is about some surprising sources of the money going to Detroit mayoral candidate Mary Sheffield. You can read all about it here.
GEEK OF THE WEEK– A judge who sent 500 texts to her baliff and others during a murder trial is found guilty of being this week’s geek.
ROOM 7609– KevBot Unicorn books Future Islands into the New Wave suite to perform “Peach.” Send us your favorite deep cut or obscure band – and a story about them or why they mean something to you – by writing to [email protected].
FEEDBACK– A listener gets ML to set the record straight, another takes a shot at the prosecutors in Oakland and Wayne counties, and a Shawn fan freezes during a chance encounter with The Great Man at the Breslin Center. We welcome all your comments – and constructive criticism – at [email protected]
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