FRISCO, Texas — In a closely watched bond hearing, Judge Angela Tucker of the 199th District Court reduced the bond for 17-year-old Karmelo Anthony from $1 million to $250,000 on Monday. The decision comes with strict conditions, including house arrest, an ankle monitor, and limited movement authorized only by the judge.

Anthony, who appeared in court wearing a yellow jumpsuit, must now check in with the bailiff every Friday morning and may not meet with his attorney, Mike Howard, without notifying the court in advance. 

Any violation of these terms will result in his immediate return to jail.

Monday morning started with a strict court entry plan designed by the court and the Collin County Sheriff’s Department. There were between eight to ten deputies on hand for security. The court wanted the media in place by 8:30 a.m. for the 9 a.m. hearing. The family was scheduled to attend by 8:40 a.m. 

The courtroom could fit roughly 40 to 50 people, and several people were unable to attend because of limited capacity. The media and family went through two sets of metal detectors before entering the courtroom. Both the Metcalf and Anthony families sat on opposite sides of the courtroom.

The state is represented by the experienced First Assistant District Attorney Bill Wirskye and Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis was also in the courtroom. The defense attorney for Karmelo Anthony is Mike Howard, who is a seasoned defense attorney from the Dallas area.

Judge Tucker began the hearing by outlining court security measures and clarifying how she was randomly assigned the case through the Collin County court. She emphasized that she has no known conflicts of interest, addressing concerns due to her court’s past involvement in the divorce of Austin Metcalf’s parents—a case settled in auxiliary court, not directly by her.

The defense called up Andrew Anthony, who is the father of the defendant. He answered questions about the family dynamic, about Karmelo, and their financial situation. WFAA learned Karmelo worked two jobs, was an A-B student, captain of football and track teams, and the eldest of four children.

During the hearing, DA Willis was present, and Assistant DA William “Bill” Wirskye, representing the state, argued against reducing the bond. He pointed out that Anthony’s family had raised over $415,000 through GoFundMe and GiveSendGo, suggesting they had the means to post the original $1 million bond.

Andrew Anthony responded by saying the family didn’t have access to the fundraising campaign because it was not initially started by them. Defense attorney Mike Howard wanted to clarify that even if the family did have the money to bond Karmelo out, there are a number of other expenses, including costs for defense and a possible move from their current living situation for security, to take into account. Anthony also shared that he is the sole provider for the household.

In explaining her decision, Judge Tucker cited several bond factors: Anthony’s age, clean criminal history, U.S. citizenship, and strong ties to the community. The defense had offered up other family members, coaches and employers, who were willing to testify to who Karmelo is.

While the judge read her ruling on the bond, there did not appear to be any noticeable reaction from the families or Karmelo Anthony. 

For the majority of the hearing, Anthony was facing forward and was expressionless. The close of the hearing resulted in the families leaving first and then the media. Both families convened in separate rooms or locations of the courthouse before leaving.

There is still a lot more to happen in this case. 

First off, the District Attorney’s office is still waiting on the case from the Frisco Police Department, which may happen in the coming weeks. Next, the case will go before a grand jury, which will decide whether to indict.