A legal turn of events unfolds today as a Texas judge weighs the decision to potentially award a new trial to Karmelo Anthony, a teen convicted of murder earlier this year. The conviction revolves around the tragic stabbing of a 17-year-old athlete during a high school track event.
In a significant development for Anthony, the judge originally overseeing his trial was removed just the day before this hearing. Judge Michael Chitty has now taken over to review requests from Anthony’s legal team, who are pushing for a retrial regarding Austin Metcalf’s death.
Currently 19, Anthony faces a daunting 35-year prison sentence. He appeared at Wednesday’s court session clad in a green prison uniform. Both Anthony’s and Metcalf’s families were present to witness the proceedings.
The defense team had requested the dismissal of state District Judge John Roach, partly due to a controversial television interview where Roach affirmed the jury’s decision, stating their guilty verdict was justified.
Anthony’s lawyers contend that oppressive courtroom rules and flawed jury instructions tainted the June trial. They also argue Anthony refrained from testifying due to a conflict with prosecutors concerning a pretrial deal intended to concentrate on events leading up to the fatal incident.
Jurors in the trial had rejected Anthony’s claims he acted in self-defense during a confrontation with Metcalf in the stadium bleachers last year. Students who took the stand described a heated exchange over Anthony’s refusal on a rainy spring day to leave a tent that belonged to Metcalf’s team.
The case attracted national attention in part because of a flood of social media posts that amplified the killing in racial terms. Anthony is Black; Metcalf was white. Lawyers on both sides, however, told jurors the tragedy had nothing to do with race.
During the recusal hearing Wednesday, Anthony’s legal team focused on comments Roach made to a Dallas TV station after the trial had ended. In the interview, which was played as the hearing began, Roach was asked if the jury got “it right.”
“Yeah, they did,” Roach said, adding: “Whatever they say, they got it right.”
During the interview, Roach also defended his courtroom rules and spoke about the onslaught of online postings about the case.
As national attention on the killing intensified last year, the families of both Metcalf and Anthony said they had been targets of harassment.
Several schools were competing at the track event when Anthony sat under the Memorial High School tent that was perched in the bleachers. Metcalf and others had repeatedly told Anthony to leave, witnesses testified, leading to an escalating confrontation.
Prosecutors said Anthony provoked Metcalf, and witnesses testified that Anthony was the aggressor.
Anthony at one point reached inside a bag and replied: “Touch me and see what happens,” according to a police report.
Metcalf pushed Anthony, according to witnesses, who said Anthony then pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the chest.