James Crumbley’s attorney breaks her silence to describe a prosecution that often seemed more like a smear campaign, while ML and Marc dive deep into defense strategy and what it’s like to represent the reviled.

STRAIGHT DOPE

She might not be a lot of fun at parties that don’t involve deep discussions of constitutional law, but Mariell Lehman is still mighty interesting to anyone who wonders what it was like to defend James Crumbley, the father of Oxford High School massacre shooter Ethan Crumbley.

Mariell spent 2½ years representing James Crumbley in a case that she says was unlike just about any other she’s ever handled. For starters, she said Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald began making decisions about the case long before the evidence was in. Mariell says it was part of a pattern that seemed more about ruining the Crumbleys’ reputation than administering justice.

Mariell offers lots of revelations — including that she originally wanted to be a prosecutor and that she really likes James Crumbley.

Marc asks Mariell whether she has been targeted by people outraged about the Crumbley case. She shares stories about the keyboard warriors (who ML prefers to call keyboard cowards).

The Crumbley case made history because of the charges filed against the parents, but there were plenty of other unusual occurrences, such as the judge waiting until the last minute to announce whether mom Jennifer Crumbley or dad James Crumbley would go on trial first. Mariell discusses how she handled all the curve balls.

Did Jennifer Crumbley’s decision to testify in her case – and her conviction – impact Mariell’s strategy for defending James Crumbley? Listen and learn.

ML asks Mariell what happens to the pets, the homes and anyone or anything else dependent on people who get locked up? Mariell says life – and a lot of sales – goes on.

Mariell says the prosecution’s agreement not to prosecute school officials came as a surprise to defense attorneys – and had a significant impact on the way they handled their cases. She explains why.

Another potential blow to the defense was the judge’s decision to move the cases forward even after Ethan Crumbley’s last-minute decision not to testify in his parents’ case. Mariell explains why that was a big deal – and how there was nothing defense attorneys could do to stop it.

The judge issued a gag order early in the Crumbley case, but it’s not clear whether the prosecutor’s decision to give a documentary film crew access to her team may have impacted that gag order or the case itself. Mariell gives her take, while ML wonders whether the judge expressed any concerns. This also gives him a chance to work in this week’s Kwame Kilpatrick reference.  

Listen for some instant classic Shawn drops from last week’s episode with Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports that capture Shawn’s feelings about a former lover … and, quite possibly, how he feels about his podcast partners.

Marc asks a deep question about innocent victims of Luke Skywalker’s assault on the Death Star, inspiring ML to trot out his lame imitation of Mark Hamill’s spot-on imitation of Harrison Ford.

Please join the Soul Patrol by becoming a Patreon member. For as little as $5 a month, you can enjoy benefits like ad-free episodes and video of the show. For $15 a month, you get the bonus episode. At the $25 and $60 a month levels, you get free swag and exclusive merchandise. Sign up here: Get more from ML Soul of Detroit on Patreon

GEEK OF THE WEEK

Nike screws up yet ANOTHER new set of jerseys, earning no style points but Geek of the Week honors for the Tigers lame new City Connect gear.

ROOM 7609

Spartan Steve shares a story and dedicates Elvis Hitler’s “Live Fast, Die Young” to Shawn. 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

Facebook Frank frankly doesn’t like ML and Karen wonders why the “watchdog” hasn’t followed up on a big scoop by the competition. We welcome all your comments – and constructive criticism – at [email protected]

DONATE OR SPONSOR US

Support us on Patreon or make a donation at mlsoulofdetroit.com or drop us a line at [email protected] to find out how cheap and easy it is to advertise on our show! We now accept donations via Venmo (and if Venmo tells you your money is going to DaisyHouseLLC, you’ve got the right link!)

LISTEN AND LEARN

Find out more about the podcast at www.mlsoulofdetroit.com, where you’ll find previous episodes and so much more!

SUBSCRIBE/SHARE/RATE/WATCH

Subscribe to the podcast at iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever quality podcasts are found! 

When you check out the podcast, remember to rate it (even if you hate it)!!! Your endorsement is very powerful! 

Get podcast news on Twitter @elrick or on Facebook at “ML Elrick”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS