Prosecutors have asked a judge to ban the parents of the accused Michigan school shooter from making romantic gestures towards each other in court, saying they "make fun of the crimes they are accused of committing."
Jennifer and James Crumbley, who were charged with four counts of manslaughter in the November 30 Oxford High School shooting, allegedly uttered the words "I love you" during face-to-face and virtual court hearings on December 14 and January 7, according to a motion filed Tuesday in Oakland County District Court.
According to the prosecutor's office, the couple also waved to each other and gave other non-verbal signals.
"The courtroom is not the place to blow kisses and send secret signals," Chief Assistant Oakland County Prosecutor David Williams said in a statement. "It's time for families to seek justice.”
The petition added that the messages "undermine the integrity of the judicial process as a serious distraction" and "traumatize family members of deceased victims who can no longer express their love to the victims."
Relatives asked why Crumbley was allowed to make such gestures during the trial, the petition says.
The couple's lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The petition says they "expressed willingness" to tell Crumbley to stop these gestures.
