WATCH: Prosecutor in Crumbley parent's case successfully slaps down defense attorneys' demand for $50K bail
In a hearing held early Saturday morning, the prosecutor who has indicted the parents of Ethan Crumbley -- accused of murdering four high school classmates -- successfully convinced a judge to order the couple to post $500,000 bail each as they face involuntary manslaughter charges.
Early Saturday morning James and Jennfier Crumbley were taken into custody at a Detroit-area industrial park after fleeing with $4000 in cash instead of turning themselves into police after their indictment on four counts of involuntary manslaughter apiece.
With the attorneys for the couple explaining they didn't think their clients were a flight risk and complaining about the prosecution "cherry-picking" the facts in the case while asking for $50,000 to $100,000 in bail, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald responded with an impassioned plea for the $500,000 bail.
Speaking via Zoom with all the participants in the hearing, she told the judge, "I agree with Miss Smith on one thing: the court hasn't heard all the facts. I have an ethical duty not to release those facts. We have a burden and these are merely allegations, so I agree and I just want to point out, nobody needs permission -- these defendants did not need my permission and didn't need law enforcement permission to go to the court and turn themselves in and go to the police department, sheriff's department, turn themselves in."
RELATED: WATCH: Oxford shooter's parents arrested in Detroit as SWAT team stood by
"I agree Mrs. Smith was perhaps in trial, and had a break from 11:45 to 2:45," she continued. "I can't imagine why they were surprised. The whole country knew the charges were coming. And lastly, to suggest that anyone is somehow using this incident to create press, there's a lot of attention here. Four children were murdered and seven others injured. and that is on the mind of every single person in this country. So I would ask you impose the $500,000 cash surety on each of the defendants, your honor."
Watch below:
CNN 12 04 2021 09 55 23 youtu.be