Manslaughter

Michigan mother convicted of manslaughter for school shootings by her son – after buying him a gun and letting him keep it unsecured

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, February 6, 2024

Both Crumbley parents have pleaded not guilty to four counts each of involuntary manslaughter.

Key Points: 
  • Both Crumbley parents have pleaded not guilty to four counts each of involuntary manslaughter.
  • Jennifer Crumbley faces a maximum prison sentence of 60 years and maximum fines of US$30,000.
  • Another victim was shot a second time after she was down, Rowe said, “to finish the job by shooting her again.”

Were the parents responsible?


Many were surprised when the Crumbleys, were charged for their alleged role in the tragedy. Criminal law, unlike civil law, is less likely to hold defendants liable for the actions of a third party, even if that third party is the defendant’s child. This is because in criminal law defendants face incarceration and the associated stigma that comes with a conviction.

  • In the rare instances that parents of school shooters are prosecuted, they were normally charged with crimes such as child abuse, child neglect and the failure to properly secure a firearm.
  • The charge lodged against the Crumbleys, involuntary manslaughter, also known as gross negligent homicide, was even more uncommon.
  • In 2000, Jamelle James, a Michigan resident, pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter for leaving his handgun in a shoebox in his bedroom.
  • Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald has taken direct aim at Crumbley’s parents.

‘Egregious’ behavior

  • To prove the parents’ gross negligence, the prosecution relied on a series of alleged facts.
  • Among the most central facts was that the Crumbleys bought their son the handgun as a Christmas present and later took him to target practice.
  • Neither parent informed the school that they had bought the gun and that their son had access to it.
  • “It takes the unthinkable, and she has done the unthinkable, and because of that, four kids have died,” McDonald said.
  • Though the prosecution’s case appeared compelling, Shannon Smith, Crumbley’s defense attorney, had some very strong counterarguments.
  • As Smith asked in her closing defense argument, “Can every parent really be responsible for everything their children do, especially when it’s not foreseeable?”

Changing the laws

  • The same cannot be said for Ethan Crumbley, who was 15 years old at the time of the shootings.
  • That federal proposal became part of a state legislative package
    signed into law April 13, 2023, by Michigan Gov.
  • The new laws took effect on Jan. 1, 2024.
  • Editor’s note: Some material used in this story was originally published on Dec. 20, 2021.


Thaddeus Hoffmeister does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Shutting off power to reduce wildfire risk on windy days isn’t a simple decision – an energy expert explains the trade-offs electric utilities face

Retrieved on: 
Monday, August 28, 2023

In many cases, however, deciding to shut off power isn’t as simple is as it might sound.

Key Points: 
  • In many cases, however, deciding to shut off power isn’t as simple is as it might sound.
  • We asked Tim Lieuwen, executive director of the Strategic Energy Institute at Georgia Tech, about the risks and trade-offs utilities have to weigh in deciding how to respond during fire-risk conditions.

Why are utilities so often suspected in fires?

    • If tree branches are too close to the lines, electricity can arc between the line and the tree.
    • If the weather gets really hot, power lines can sag and touch dry grass or trees.
    • If there’s a lot of wind, that can push a power line into tree branches or damage equipment.

Do utilities have a responsibility for fire safety?

    • In general, regulated utilities have a duty to provide safe, affordable, reliable power to their customers.
    • The utility can shut off power, but that means people don’t have air conditioning in what may be extreme heat.
    • People with health issues – who might need oxygen, for example – might not be able to run essential medical devices.
    • Utilities have to balance the risk of keeping power on with the risks created by shutting power off.

What can utilities do to manage fire risk?

    • Utilities can make sure they’re careful about trimming trees, cutting grasses and removing other dry fuel that can ignite near power lines.
    • There’s an effort to do that in California, but estimates show it would be prohibitively expensive to take all high-voltage lines underground.
    • On hot days, being better able to manage the distribution of power flow of electricity through power lines that are overloaded and potentially overheating could also help avoid problems along power lines.

How do utilities balance the risks?

    • You can shut off power during windstorms and largely eliminate the fire risk from power infrastructure.
    • However, how to balance those risks and, in particular, address the issue of when a utility should shut off the power, is ultimately a societal choice.

Family of Teen Killed When Drunk Driver Crashed Through Home Files Lawsuit Against Bar

Retrieved on: 
Monday, March 6, 2023

Katey Kirkland, 18, was killed when a truck driven by Donald Gruber and Peggy Cox left the roadway, crashing through the family's home.

Key Points: 
  • Katey Kirkland, 18, was killed when a truck driven by Donald Gruber and Peggy Cox left the roadway, crashing through the family's home.
  • Her father, Kevin Kirkland, is still recovering from injuries he sustained in the incident.
  • Gruber and Cox have been criminally charged with intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault, and manslaughter, respectively.
  • If it had, then this family would be looking forward to Katey's high school graduation rather than continuing to mourn the death of their only child."

EQS-News: Camber Energy Inc. Subsidiary Viking Energy Group Inc. (OTC: VKIN) Technology To Improve Grid Safety and Reliability

Retrieved on: 
Monday, November 28, 2022

Camber Energy Inc. Subsidiary Viking Energy Group Inc. (OTC: VKIN) Technology To Improve Grid Safety and Reliability

Key Points: 
  • Camber Energy Inc. Subsidiary Viking Energy Group Inc. (OTC: VKIN) Technology To Improve Grid Safety and Reliability
    The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
  • Through its 62%-owned subsidiary, Viking Energy Group Inc. (OTC: VKIN), Camber provides custom energy and power solutions to commercial and industrial clients in North America.
  • This technology has the potential to drastically improve utilities across the globe by increasing the overall safety and reliability of the electrical grid.
  • The Distribution Line Solution from Viking Sentinel Technology, LLC, is the hardware component of Viking Energy's multifaceted plan to improve the security and safety of the electrical grid.

Better alerting: F24 presents an expansion of its alarm suite for all emergency and crisis events

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, July 26, 2022

FACT24, the tried-and-tested software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution from F24, comprising of the FACT24 ENS app for alerting and supported by the FACT24 CIM app for displaying proactive and comprehensive crisis management, is helping to combat this challenge.

Key Points: 
  • FACT24, the tried-and-tested software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution from F24, comprising of the FACT24 ENS app for alerting and supported by the FACT24 CIM app for displaying proactive and comprehensive crisis management, is helping to combat this challenge.
  • As part of a product update, the alerting system app FACT24 ENS+, will get a host of new features, including a dedicated protection solution for people working on their own.
  • By expanding our alerting functions, as we have in FACT24 ENS+, we are giving employers even more help with saving lives in a crisis and protecting their valued assets.
  • FACT24 allows contact information to be continuously updated and in the event of an emergency, informs decision makers where employees are and who is already safe.

Mast Calls on Marine Corps Commander to Drop Charges Against Elite Special Operators Forced to Defend Themselves from Assault

Retrieved on: 
Monday, March 28, 2022

Congressman Brian Mast (FL-18) today called on the leader of U.S. Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) to drop manslaughter charges against elite special forces operators forced to defend themselves in a clear-cut case of self-defense against an assault from a drunken aggressor while on deployment.

Key Points: 
  • Congressman Brian Mast (FL-18) today called on the leader of U.S. Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) to drop manslaughter charges against elite special forces operators forced to defend themselves in a clear-cut case of self-defense against an assault from a drunken aggressor while on deployment.
  • The trio returned him to the base where they all lived, and Gilmet posted watch overnight out of concern about his heavily intoxicated state.
  • Further, Rep. Mast noted that he is troubled by what appears to be ongoing unlawful command influence (UCI) within the U.S. Marine Corps.
  • Accordingly, in order to assign replacement counsel, the military has had to look outside the Navy and Marine Corps.

Attorney John Q. Kelly Appears on Fox News to Discuss the Case of a Connecticut Man Charged With Killing Anguilla Hotel Worker

Retrieved on: 
Monday, September 9, 2019

GREENWICH, Conn., Sept. 9, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Connecticut banker Scott Hapgood is accused of manslaughter in connection with the death of hotel maintenance worker Kenny Mitchel.

Key Points: 
  • GREENWICH, Conn., Sept. 9, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Connecticut banker Scott Hapgood is accused of manslaughter in connection with the death of hotel maintenance worker Kenny Mitchel.
  • "You are allowed to use reasonable force to protect yourself and your family from bodily harm," Kelly commented.
  • According to Kelly , there are three main issues that are going to prove important in the trial.
  • Kelly also noted that the media portrayal of the case and any possible bias can also impact the trial.