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tv   The Faulkner Focus  FOX News  April 9, 2024 8:00am-9:00am PDT

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and genuine. her expectations were high and at times we needed to let her fall. she needed to be reminded that not everything is perfect. even if she wanted it to be. madison had an influence that most never achieved. sometimes i would listen to a poem she wrote or watched her create art with no tracing. just her talent. she would talk about college and what she would like to do and what would be most helpful to society. the passion that she had for everything and everyone was remarkable. i would catch myself watching her and think to myself how lucky am i? i'm the one who gets to be her mom. what did i do to deserve a perfect person? she will be the best thing to ever happen to me at such a young age myself. i grew up because of her. we grew together. i learned from her.
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i mattered because of her. from the moment she was born, i promised myself that i would be there no matter what through the heartbreak, let downs and struggles i would be there and listen, learn and love every moment. i wouldn't miss a thing. i would always protect her. on november 30, 2021, exactly 17 years six months and 13 days made me break my first promise and it will hurt for eternity. as her mom i didn't protect her. first i would like to say thank you to the prosecution team. i say thank you to you all. saying thank you doesn't seem enough anymore. countless hours you've worked. time away from your family and always taking our feelings into consideration. karen and mark, the work you've put in to getting all the facts,
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speaking to us like we mattered, and never waivering from your goal speaks volumes of the people you are and i'm proud to call you a part of madison, life. you have all seen me hit some day i wasn't sure who i was. one minute i'm laughing. next crying and sometimes i'm just silent. either way one thing stayed consistent, you always listened. jen, you are not just a friend, you are family. my mind keeps going back to something during the trial. something that is almost on repeat like a broken record. it is something as a mother i can't understand and honestly i don't think any mother would understand. it was when jennifer said i wouldn't do anything different. i'm putting a little emphasis on
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different as i know those some things are out of our control. life takes turns and eventually puts them back in our control. like giving you a hint when something needs to change. i want to compare a few things to see through my perspective. i know things are different about the events and how we see them from the events on november 30th. while your son was hearing voices and asking for help, i was helping madison pick out her senior classes. while you were purchasing a gun for your son and leaving it unlocked, i was helping her finish her college essay. while you dropped him off at school i texted madison drive safe, it is slick outside, have a good day. when you got a call to meet at
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the school about your son and how it interfered with your day, i was rearranging my schedule so i could take madison to get her oil changed for the first time. when you left without hesitation and not taking him home, i was worried that she would be okay driving in the first snowfall of the season and if she brought a coat. when you walked out of the office after hearing an active shooter, i ran from my home and started driving not to break the law. when you were on the phone pretending trying to figure out where the gun was, i was on the phone with her father and family trying to figure out where she was. when you left without knowing where your son was i was desperately trying to get there as soon as possible. when you knew the gun was missing you called the police
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knowing it was your son who took it. i was having family call every hospital describing what she looked like. when you texted ethan, don't do it, i was texting madison, i love you, please call mom. when you found out about the lives your son took that day, i was still waiting for my daughter in a parking lot. when you questioned the reasoning on why you would do this, i was questioning if i was doing enough to find her. when you got a chance to speak with your son and seeing him alive and showing no support, i was watching families waiting for my moment. when you asked him why, i was
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waiting for the answer as to why the last bus never came. when you and the police showed up at your house you didn't understand why they were there. and i was asking police if they checked every possible location and if i could go search, too. when you texted about not losing your job and you needed a lawyer, i was still calling my daughter because she came first in all parts of my life. when you could leave your house, i was still a prisoner in mine. when you worried about what people thought of you, i was learning your son fatally shot my daughter in the head. when you drove to get your burner phones for communication, i was laying on the floor crying
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for hours because i forgot how to speak. when you checked into your first hotel, i was telling madison's 11-year-old sister she was gone. when you cared more about yourself about getting alcohol and supplies, i was identifying my daughter in the medical office wishing i could take her place. while you were hiding, i was planning her funeral. and while you were running away from your son and your responsibilities, i was s force to do the worst possible thing a parent could do, i was forced to say goodbye to my madison. we all see things different. some prioritize and some don't. accountability can only be given if you actually tried in the first place. as a parent we all make mistakes
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which is a normal way of life. usually when mistakes happen we learn from them. we try to fix it or talk it over. but continuing to make the same mistake over and over again is no longer a mistake, that's a choice. that becomes a decision. those decisions that you made ultimately took my daughter's life because you decided that you didn't want to parent and listen to your son. you took the right away from me to be a mother. you do not get to decide that. you do not get those privileges. you are not above anyone. i love being the mom. the one thing i'm truly great at. you cared more about your well-being than the one life that you should put above anyone, your child. and because of that you took -- that you both took four beautiful children away from this world. being a parent is the best part
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of life that you should hold to the highest level. it's an honor to be a mother or a father. even when you think you have done your best, you continue to do more. unfortunately, you never made it to level one. you say you wouldn't do anything different. well, that really says what type of parents you are because there are a lot of things i would do different. but the one thing that i would have wanted to be different was to take that bullet that day so she could continue to live the life she deserved. no respect or compassion for our families. the same treatment you bestowed upon your son. the traits that have torn my family into pieces. the lack of compassion that you have shown is outright disgusting. not only did your son kill my daughter but you both did as well.
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the words involuntary should not be part of your defense. everything you did before and after were voluntary acts for your son to commit murder. not just one, but multiple. shaking your head during a verdict is the utmost disrespectful thing i have ever witnessed. at that moment you felt your life was more valuable than my daughters. that will never be true. you created a life you took for granted. decided that parenting wasn't a priority. putting your child first should be the only priority. you didn't and because of that i lost my daughter. i had to get answers after her death. watching the video, hearing testimony on how your son executed my daughter, watching him put the gun to her head as she covered her head and pulled the trigger, seeing pictures of her laying in her own pool of
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blood. knowing her body sat there for hours, that rig mortis had set it. her body was in a state i couldn't imagine. hearing her sister cream over and over again night after night. watching her family and friends fall apart. you created all of this. you created your son's life which then allowed this to be his path. which should be yours as well. you don't get to look away. you don't get to cry. i didn't get that choice. you failed as parents. the punishment that you face will never be enough. it will never bring her back and never be a loss that you have suffered and it will never heal the pain because one day you are going to be able to see your son, visit, hear his voice, possibly laugh, maybe see him grow. i will never see that again.
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you say you have suffered doesn't even compare to the loss of a child. your honor, i request the maximum sentence be enforced as it will never come close to the life sentence i was given. the life sentence that i didn't ask for but a choice that wawas made for me. a life that i will suffer because of their negligence. thank you. >> thank you for being here. >> harris: that was the impact statement from a child who was killed in 2021 at a school shooting. that was the mom, nichole, and her daughter, madison baldwin the third picture from the left the shot in the head. powerful. the killer was 15 years old at the time in 2021. he is going to do life in prison without parole.
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that was his sentencing. his parents are on trial today and in that courtroom jennifer and james crumbley no doubt were sitting where they could see this mom speaking. she referenced them. they are scheduled to appear this morning and now they are facing the close of what every media outlet acknowledges is groundbreaking in terms of the loss. they are the first parents convicted in a u.s. mass shooting. and you heard that mom say -- you heard nichole say it shouldn't be involuntary manslaughter because the prosecutors fought and won their case that showed the parents failed to safely store a gun and could have prevented the shooting by removing their 15-year-old son from school when confronted with his own dark drawing that day. so much there. the mom of madison baldwin referenced her daughter as 17 years old, six months, 13 days
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the last day she saw her. let's watch as another mom speaks. >> this passing has touched so many family members, friends, students and community in general. the ripple effects of both jade's and jennifer's failures to act have devastated us all. this tragedy was completely preventable. if only they had done something, your honor, anything, to shift the course of events on november 30th then our poor angels would be here today and justin would be getting ready to celebrate his 20th birthday on the 18th of this month. if only, your honor, they had taken your son to get counseling instead of buying him a gun. if only they had secured that gun.
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if only they had spoken up that day in the counseling office. if only they had checked his backpack. if only they had taken him home. or taken him to counseling. instead of abandoning him at that school. i wouldn't be standing here today. your honor, i don't know what's in their hearts, i'm not a mind reader. but i only know the facts of this case and the facts of this case, both cases, have been deeply disturbing. what i would like to share with the shooter's parents is an example of what love looks like between a mother and her son. this is what justin wrote to me on one of the last birthdays that we celebrated together. dear mom, words cannot describe how thankful i am for you.
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you have been nothing but an amazing mother for as long as i can remember. thank you for being a role model, thank you for showing me what it is like to never give up. you inspire me to do better each and every day. i love you so much. love justin. it is devastating and heartbreaking that it doesn't appear that either of you cherished or even wanted your son. but i wholeheartedly wanted and cherished mine. you have failed your son and you have failed us all. this failure had deadly consequences that can never be undone or made right. i am asking, your honor, for the maximum sentence allowed. thank you. >> thank you for being here.
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>> harris: so i want to just pause here because i don't want to step on these parents, these family members. we don't know if they will all be moms at this point. the parents are giving impact statements and they're powerful. this case is so important because the people on trial are the parents of a mass school shooter and they are the first patients convicted in a u.s. mass school shooting. this is justin's father. so we just heard from his mom. let's watch together. >> at this time i'm here to address a different judge and the parents of the deeply disturbed teenager who murdered my son. this is my opportunity to try to describe how much the horrific event that took place on november 30, 2021, has impacted my life. it's my belief that an impact statement should not just describe how this particular
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event impacted me. i feel i should be impactful to all who hear it. i hope these words impact you in a way that influence your decisions here today. as i look around at all the lawyers, police officers, media folks, and the other victims, i can't help but ask myself what could i possibly say that this whole scenario doesn't already say? this is my son. most people will never have to make a victim impact statement in their lives. the fact that the victims speaking here today are doing so for the second time in six months should speak volumes in and of itself. this is not normal. living a life like this is not normal. so how does it affect a normal guy? to be completely honest with you, it remains a rather difficult and uncomfortable question to answer. my impact statement i expressed
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many of my day-to-day struggles from uncontrolled emotional outbreaks to sleepless nights to not being able to focus on normal daily tasks. yeah, it's fair to say that i live every day with pain, anger, heartache, regret, anxiety, stress, you name it. they are all there wreaking havoc in my once normal life they say time heals all wounds. we're coming up on two 1/2 years now and i can assure you the wounds are still as fresh as they were that tragic day. this hole left in my life still is very obvious. -- [inaudible]. i spent the last 30 years of my life trying to support a family, raise children and set myself up with peace and quiet in the later years of life but the
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unthinkable happened. the peace and quiet i worked so hard for may never come to be. not for the grief i always have. literally every single aspect of my life has been affected by this tragedy. i spent a long time describing in detail how it has impacted me but it seems like it would be easier for me to tell you how this tragedy hasn't affected me. i feel strongly that it has caught the attention of most parents across the country. the overwhelming facts in the case were all that was necessary to prove that james and jennifer crumbley not only neglected their son but didn't get the mental care that was clearly needed. provided him the tools necessary to carry out the heinous acts of violence. it was these very facts that allowed not just one, but two
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full juries to find them both guilty of involuntary manslaughter. i will always maintain the opinion that the facts that were presented in these cases were strong enough to convince any jury of their guilt and that the verdict would have been the same regardless of where the trial was held. as i maintained throughout the course of the past couple of years being the parent of a murdered child tends to cause you to seek out the maximum penalties aloud for each guilty verdict from any of the criminal charges. the stance is completely justified and would be so for any parent in the same position as mine. however, this is a court of law where a person is innocent until proven guilty and the defendant has a right to speak for the charges against them. that being said during the course of both of these trials, i did my best to capture every word and process all the facts. this is important.
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because there is value in these facts. not just in the thousands and thousands of man-hours invested in gathering, processing and organizing the evidence, but also for being able to use that evidence to establish the cold, hard truth of the tragic situation. the james and jennifer crumbley failed in their parental responsibilities as it pertains to the shooter who was their son. the cold truth that shows that they did nothing to address the obvious deteriateing mental state of mind of their son. the very hard truth that shows that they provided their son with exact will i what he wanted to use to do what he did, failed miserably as parents. an order for somethi of this magnitude to even happen at all, there would have to be a ton o things that went wrong. although there were some things
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that definitely went wrong that day, or several of those things i believe that if they had been handled correctly we wouldn't be here right now and james and jennifer crumbley carry the bulk of the responsibility to be able to handle those things. during their trials the overall similarities between the two were evident and i believe this is why they were both convicted. numerous facts that were the same for both trials showed clearly that the parents failed their son and ultimately the entire community. with jennifer, the thing that resonates most is she stated that even knowing what she knew now, she would still wouldn't have changed a thing. i almost cried when she said that. four precious lives were lost at the hands of her son by the means she helped provide.
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she saw the drawing from her son. she sat and heard the request of the counselor and did nothing. she still says that she wouldn't have changed a thing. i just don't understand how someone can make a statement like that. the blood of our children is on your hands, too. this is one reason why i feel jennifer should receive the maximum amount for her sentence. the facts presented should be all that you should need. for her distinct lack of remorse and overall not understanding of the tragedy i feel the maximum amount of time available for her to be able to fully comprehend the gravity of her actions and the lack there of. with james were a couple of things that jumped out at me. one of the things when the
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verdict was being read he sat there and shook his head in total disagreement. as if to suggest that the jury was wrong and that there were no bounds for a guilty verdict. i was dumbfounded to see him shake his head with such disbelief. actions truly suggest he didn't think he did anything wrong. how could you possibly think that? four precious lives were loss at the hands of your son by means that he helped provide. he saw the drawing of the murder, drawn with the hands of his son. he sat and heard the request of the counselor and did nothing. i just don't understand how someone can so arrogantly be full of self-pity without being able to say one thing to justify themselves. the blood of our children is on your hands, too. this is one reason why i feel james should receive the maximum amount for his sentence.
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the facts presented should be all the others he needs. with this distinct lack of remorse and overall unethical understanding of the tragedy i feel the maximum amount of time available is needed for him to be able to fully comprehend the gravity of his actions or the lack there of. throughout the course of all of this, and i'm going way back in the beginning, i just can't get over the fact this tragedy could be avoidable. there were obvious signs that were completely overlooked. the bulk of the responsibility to address those signs lies on the parent and they failed across the board failed. they willfully ignored the signs of their child and unselfishly put themselves first before helping him. this blatant disregard is unacceptable. it is a large reason why the events of that day were able or allowed to happen and another
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reason why i feel they both need the maximum amount of time available to be able to fully comprehend their actions and the lack there of. we all know that having children is a big responsibility. although it's extremely rewarding, it is also scary. let's face it, they don't exactly come with instructions. there is no refunds and unfortunately no pause or rewind buttons, either. oh yeah, and there are times when -- [inaudible] yet we still have them. we still want that responsibility even though it's not very clear what it all entails. how can we accept that responsibility and not act responsibly toward it? it doesn't add up. a child deserves the same amount
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of love, compassion that any other child gets. a child deserves someone who is confident enough to lead by example. let's face it, it wasn't that child's choice to come into this world. you made them and it is your responsibility to teach them how to live. it is your responsibility to set a good example. it's plain and simple. the sooner we can figure it out, the better we all will be. being a parent is hard work but if it's done correctly it can be the most rewarding work you ever do. there is no one that can tell you how to do it because each child is so precious and unique. there is no other one like them in the entire world and that says a lot. cherish your one and onlys and never give them up. never give up on them. the results of doing so can be catastrophic and can affect the
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lives of so many other people. i ask you all to go home today and hug your kids and make sure they know you are there for them and make sure thatat they are a right. it's so crucial for the whole of our society. thank you. >> thank you, mr. schilling. >> harris: they are going from family to family, parents speaking up and the memory of their children and their impact statements with the defendants, jennifer and james crumbley in the courtroom and also giving us perspective on how they see the sentencing should go and how the law has been applied. we've heard from at least one mom who said involuntary manslaughter isn't should be how it should go. she just simply said they were voluntarily parenting him and
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doing it badly. hannah, who you see in the second picture from the left there of the oxford high school shooting victims who are dead. that's her sister. let's listen in. >> we walked through life side-by-side. she would play her first high school basketball game last night. getting ready for school dances, have the jv and varsity season, get her drivers license, first date, prom, graduation. she never got a chance for any of that. she didn't even get her 15, 16, 17th or 18th birthday. only some of the high school experiences she never got to have but it is absolutely nothing compared to the rest of everything she had going for her future. her life had only started to begin. november 30th, 2021, was the moment i became aware of the
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fragility of our mortality. hannah was healthy, hannah was only 14, shot four times. 12.5 percent of the bullets were shot at her. she took her last breath in a school she hadn't even been in for three months. alone for seven minutes while police walked by her bleeding out as a security guard failed to put a turn cut on her. dying as ems took 15 minutes to give aid to her. our japanese grandma would worry about it. she said don't worry, i'm a fast runner and i will outrun them. it wasn't possible for hannah to outrun the bullets brought by you jennifer crumbley by the gun you gave your son.
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no matter what you try to make yourself believe, jennifer you both failed as parents. to love and be loved is the human experience. it was up to you guys to show your son that instead of getting quality time and compassion you gift your son a gun you knew causes extraordinary damage. the reason your kid didn't use the other two firearms you owned. i believe your actions cannot even be confined into the word failure. your mistakes created an everlasting nightmare. yes, you are a danger to society because even after serving two years you have yet to admit to your wrongdoings. when we don't learn from our mistakes we repeat history. you call yourself a victim. it is between you, justin, tait and madison, you and my family and you and all the students there that day we didn't have a hand in causing this. you caused the most cruel thing
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i could ever imagine. you guys made loving hannah so painful and that is not a narrative, that's reality. for that you have a time machine or the ability to stop time there is no existing punishment or rehabilitation that will ever be enough because there is no way that the one life i have i now have to live without hana, my little sister, best friend, my other half. to me that makes an excellent sentence being 15 years too short. hannah didn't have 15 years to live. you say you wouldn't do anything different. i can't fathom that. i would do anything to hear her footsteps coming up the stairs, you don't have to roll your eyes. it is on video she said that. empty seat at the dining table to have her come into any room and ask which clothes to order and see her napping on the couch. to lay and share when we said the same thing at the same time. there is not a day that goes by
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i wish i hadn't run out of that building. if i knew what i know now i would do everything differently in a heartbeat. one day i hope you would have chosen to care for your son, teach him how to love and be loved. that you would not choose to buy the bullets that enter children's bodies. that you would not choose to delete relative information that could have helped to decide to act and search the backpack. you wouldn't choose to hide from accountability when you are the reason we had to hide from our lives. that you would choose to save the four who were killed. like my mother said both of you should have your worst today is the tomorrow hannah doesn't get. tomorrow she wanted to live so badly tomorrow she should have. i can never do her justice.
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i would need a lifetime and still not have the right words to capture her humor, thoughtfulness, kindness or loyalty. she was always there for you helping without a second thought. always sharing whether her smile, food, clothes, crafts, joy. she is funny. she brings people together. the contagious laughter, you will be laughing along with her. she is noticing the small things, no shoes, new haircut, cute jewelry but she makes you feel seen. she is extremely spirited. energy is unmatched on or off the court. she dresses up every holiday and spirit day. the first one to put up christmas lights or any lights for that matter not realizing she was a light for so many others. she is the one who not only playfully roll her eyes and smaller saying i was taller than her as i looked up to her. not only do i look up to her physically but as a whole as a human being.
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she isn't perfect but hana and that's as close as you can get. i can't convey what losing her meant. i myself her with every breath her take. going forward without her is something i will never be fully navigate. it does nothing to capture the hurt or way my soul is shattered. i didn't know -- i have never felt every atom of my body with anger until her murder or want to stop waking up. i have never known pain that is forever until seeing her in a casket or possible to feel so isolated even when you are surrounded by people. i didn't know how to feel. i have no idea who i am watt hana she is my happy and my home. i look for hana in everyone i meet and every place i go and exhausting when i am met with disappointment any time. all the people she would have met, i grieve for them, too.
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to have the chance of having her in their life being taken away. for me it was a tragedy. she is more of a person that many people could hope to be. when the day comes you reenter society in 13 years i hope you live more like hana and every moment to the fullest like hana and laugh every day and love unconditionally like hana. that's it. >> thank you. >> harris: as we pull away from the courtroom, you know, that was the big sister of teenager as well of hana talkg. and what that tells me is what the future look like. give the kid a job and look what she can accomplish. she spoke like an adult and was amazing like an adult who has been on this earth for a long time, so loving of her sister.
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i want to bring in brian claypool, criminal defense attorney. these impact statements, how much difference will they make in the maximum years for those parents, the first in u.s. history to be found guilty in the killing of what their child did at school? how much will it make in their sentencing that is maxed out at 15 years? >> hi, harris. absolutely heartbreaking. it was heart wrenching to watch these statements. madison baldwin's mom, nichole, i have never seen a more powerful witness statement in my entire life. i have a daughter that's her age, i'm a single dad, a daughter her age. you are a parent. when she was talking about it's an honor to be a parent, right? that resonated with me. that was just a home run, harris, you would echo this. we live in a society now where
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parents aren't viewing their children in the way they should. children are miracles. we have such an obligation, such a commitment, discipline to be there for our kids and to hear our kids when they are telling us that they need help. and for madison's mom to say that and for her to say she has a life sentence now, that is just a staggering comment for this judge to have to grapple with. what she did and what the other hana's sister, you know what they did that was very profound? they described what it was like to go through having a sister or a daughter murdered and they also described what they were like as human beings. that's what a good witness impact statement is. they talk about -- hana's sister talking about not seeing her to walk in the room to not order clothes together or dress up for the holidays. those are the types of comments
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that are going to tug at the soul and heart of this judge. so these are having an absolute impact on the judge. >> harris: just quickly we don't have a lot of time here. why involuntary manslaughter? that was the cause of that first mom, madison baldwin's mom. why that? >> it's involuntary because the parents didn't pull the trigger. they didn't intend to kill these kids. involuntary manslaughter stems from when somebody is negligent. when somebody is careless, where they are reckless and somebody else dies as a result of that recklessness and that's what happened here. these parents should have done thing to rescue ethan from killing these kids and that is involuntary manslaughter. >> harris: brian claypool. great to have you in the repertoire as a legal expert and
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parents. i have a 17-year-old daughter. it was hard to watch. your words made me think what it was like during times when parents are told -- we report on it all the time -- that we're not part of our children's conversation. we very much are. as you hear these family members, they will never get that opportunity again to be part of their child's conversation. we pray for them. brian, thank you very much. we'll take a break now. stay close. >> thank you, harris. i want another option that's not another drop. tyrvaya. it's not another drop. it's the first and only nasal spray for dry eye. tyrvaya treats the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease fast by helping your body produce its own real tears. common side effects include sneezing, cough, and throat and nose irritation. relying only on drops? not me. my own real tears are my relief. ask your eye doctor about tyrvaya.
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>> harris: breaking news. a big week for the homeland security secretary mayorkas. he has been called to show up on capitol hill. while that is happening, the house will deliver its articles of impeachment against mayorkas to the democrat-led senate. republicans want him to lose his job. we'll see what the senate judge with that serious decision to make. nearly two months since the republican-controlled house impeached mayorkas over his handling of our southern border. biden's border crisis. running the agency that allowed 7 1/2 million illegal immigrants to enter under the biden administration. while mayorkas faces
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impeachment, will it all just go away? of course not. majority leader chuck schumer will decide what happens in the senate. senate republicans say well, all of it is unacceptable. >> this is perhaps the most dangerous act you could inflict upon us. to say we won't hear the evidence? that we aren't going to vote as senators? because we're afraid of a news cycle disgracefully this week we will witness a complete political charade that undermines this chamber's responsibilities and the oath we swore to protect this great nation. skirting justice, accountability in the very fabric of our democracy. >> they think it's a brave new world. they want to set a dangerous new precedent. they are summoning spirits they won't be able to control. >> this isn't just an ordinary act of sweeping it under the
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rug. not just some invisible kasper the friendly ghost coming in to get rid of it. they are actively doing it and doing it under the full view of the american people. >> it would give future senate carte blanche to dispense with serious charges against our nation's most senior officials. what goes around, comes around. >> harris: republican senator josh hawley of missouri wants that trial. chad pergram before we start with the senator. chad. >> good morning. we could learn more about the plans of senate majority leader chuck schumer today. he meets with democrats over lunch and speaks with reporters afterwards. the house marches the impeachment articles across the rotunda to the senate around 5:00 p.m. eastern time tomorrow. marjorie taylor greene serves as one of the house prosecutors. she will present the house's case to the senate. >> congresswoman let me assure
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you we are not letting it go on. we are fighting this. >> i reclaim my time. you are a liar. you are letting this go and the numbers prove it. you can't lie about the facts. while you live in denial and sit there with the attitude you are doing everything right, you are killing americans with your policy. that's a fact. >> the senate swears in senators as jurors thursday when schumer could try to snuff out the trial with a motion to dismiss. since schumer is majority leader, he gets to make motions ahead of republicans who want to force votes and extend the trial. democrats say blink and you might miss something. >> i think it will be done quickly. i have talked to some republicans who candidly tell me they don't take it very seriously. i don't know how chuck will approach it. he has two or three procedural opportunities. >> democrats can only truncate
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the trial if they stick together. they only have 51 votes. at least one democrat, tester, is questioning a quick dismissal. >> harris: right now jennifer crumbley on trial, one of the parents, making history convicted in a u.s. mass school shooting that her son carried out. let's listen. >> i would not have and was completely misunderstood. the answer is true because my son did seem so normal. i didn't have a reason to do anything different. this was not something i foresaw. it was the intention of my answer and how i interpreted the question. hindsight and information i have now my answer would be drastically different. if i even thought my son could be capable of crimes like these, things would have been absolutely different. even worse, when i learned during the police investigation that he had been planning a
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school shooting before november 30th. he was not the son i woke up -- he was not the son i knew when i woke up on november 30th. the ethan i knew was a good, quiet kid who loved his pets, family vacations, my husband and i used to say we had the perfect kid. i truly believed that. that is who i saw in front of me. as the details started emerging during discovery i was horrified to hear the behaviors my son was doing to school. refusing to take a makeup test he told us he took. drawing guns on his assignment. writing my family is a mistake. watching a video in class of a mass shooting that fatal day. along with internal communications that took place between his teachers and
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counselor. that he is on my radar and he seems to be having a rough time. was never disclosed to us. his parents. the school claimed this was not abnormal behavior because of the pandemic. to say i was furious to learn this information is an understatement. this is not normal behavior to us and very different than what ethan led us to believe was happening at school. not only were we left in the dark about his concerning behavior but in the counselor's office that morning none of those previous issues were brought to our attention. i can't stop thinking had they been, the conversation that morning would have been much different. that we would have taken a deep dive into what has really been going on with my son. i wonder if they have the same regrets, too. instead we were allowed to
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believe from ethan as well this was an isolated event. we felt confident in trusting the professional's advice to let him stay in school that day. he does not pose a threat to himself or others. it was suggested that him being around here would probably be good. we agreed. we were never asked to take him home that day. if that was discussed at the have obliged.f action we would they keep saying we didn't give them the big picture. they failed to acknowledge was the bigger picture the school did not give us. i'm not the same person i was prior to november 30, 2021. this tragedy has changed who i am and taught me valuable lessons. we gained wisdom and i have also gained god. in the quiet hours of my cell i prayed to him and got the deep impact this tragedy has had on
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the families and the endless pain no one should ever have to feel. for god holds the true understanding of our pain and learned to depend on him for peace and strength. alone i'm not strong enough. i have learned we cannot tell or predict what will happen to us in this life. one day you wake up and everything can change. we can, however, decide what happens in us. how we take it. what we do with it. and that's what really matters in the end. the test of living is how we take the unimaginable, the tragedies, raw hardships and make them a thing of worth and beauty. i also learned to think to never think this could not happen to you. stereotype that bad kids come from bad parents. the prosecution is trying to mold us into the type of parents society wants to believe are so horrible only a school or mass shooter could be bred from.
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it was a wrong assumption. we were good parents. we were the average family. we loved our son and each other tremendously. everything we strive for was to make sure our son had the best life we could give him to grow up with traditions and experiences we had. to be the best person he could be. i know we did our best. the love i have for our son mixed with regret for not seeing what was ahead weigh heavily on me. my point is this could be any parent up here in my shoes. ethan could be your child. could be your grandchild, your niece, nephew, brother, sister. your child can make a fatal decision not just with a gun but a knife, a vehicle, intentional lily or unintentionally. if there is anything that the general public can take away from this, this could happen to you, too. the tragedy has taught me the meaning of unconditional love as i watch my parents still love
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and care for me wholeheartedly no matter what has happened. if there is nothing else i can do right in life i love my son unconditionally and perhaps that was my purpose. i don't envy the decision you have to make today. i understand this is a novel case and expectations for punishment are high. the heartbreaking journey these families have endured -- i missed my most important thing. the power of forgiveness. the forgive the prosecution for slander and hate against me and my husband. mr. mcdonald and mr. keith i have hated you with anger but i need to be set free of that burden and recognize you are like me, imperfect. god wants good things to happen
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to you and in any conflict whatever the circumstances he is there looking at both sides. to the victims, and the families, i stand today not to ask for your forgiveness, as i know it may be beyond reach. but to express my sincerest apologies for the pain that has been caused. i don't envy you in the decision you have to make today. i understand the punishment expectations are high from all sides. this heartbreaking journey the families have endured is more than anyone should have to bear. my time of confinement has been filled with deep remorse regret and grief over this tragedy. i'm trying to survive, navigate and cope. with the endless heartache, pain and grief i feel for the families of the four students.
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i have been shamed as a parent, painted to be a terrible person. the worst hell is my judgment, remorse and deep regret. i have been criticized i don't show emotion. unsympathetic and don't cry enough but alone i grieve. if you are were to look into me you would see that on the inside. i will be in my own internal person for the rest of my life. i ask you take into consideration i have been locked in a cell is solitaire confinement for 28 months and the court finds a fair just sentence for me. >> thank you. your honor, as i pointed out in my sentencing memo this was a no-win case.
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there are no winners here, every single person -- there is also no limit on the amount of sadness, grief, and horrific emotions that are felt across the board in this case. and when mrs. crumbley does express remorse -- sadness, there is a tendency and has been a tendency for people to say she is shifting from sadness to the victims and putting it on herself. there is an abundance of sadness, enough sadness to go around for all the victims, for mrs. crumbley, for everyone involved in this case. it is not surprising that the victims have come in and want the maximum sentence.
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there has been that they believe is true and this court knows that there is other information that was not a part of this case and i believe this court knows the defense was hugely ham strung and i think the court was pained at times over what to do. i'm talking about not being able to call the medical professionals, not being able to call the shooters to the stand or cross-examine on various pieces of evidence. all of those are issues, but there were -- >> we heard from jennifer groom lee and expected to hear from james

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