In a significant courtroom development, a Texas judge has effectively closed the door on a new trial for Karmelo Anthony. Despite his legal team’s fervent arguments that his rights were infringed upon by courtroom limitations, absent hearings, and the questionable handling of an informal deal between his prior counsel and prosecutors, their plea was unsuccessful.

Retired District Judge Michael Chitty delivered his verdict against Anthony’s bid after meticulously examining the legal motion, court documents, presented evidence, and legal arguments. Although he issued a formal order, it notably lacked any detailed explanation for his conclusion.

This ruling maintains the status quo of Anthony’s murder conviction, along with his 35-year imprisonment. Nevertheless, his quest for justice is far from over, as a direct appeal looms on the horizon.

Meanwhile, Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis expressed certainty about the decision, reaffirming his office’s unwavering faith in the integrity of the case against Anthony.

“We respect, and expected, the court’s decision denying the motion for a new trial. The jury’s guilty verdict stands, and we remain confident in the process,” his statement said. 

“Every defendant has the right to appeal, and our thoughts and prayers remain with the Metcalf family in the painful wake of last week’s hearing.”

Chitty heard two days of testimony in McKinney, Texas, after Judge Sid Harle removed the judge who presided over Anthony’s murder trial, Judge John Roach, from the remaining trial court proceedings earlier this week.

Harle found that a reasonable outside observer could question whether Roach appeared impartial after he publicly said the jury “got it right” and defended several of his trial decisions.

At the center of the new trial hearing was an oral agreement between Anthony’s original defense attorneys and prosecutors to keep potentially damaging character evidence involving both sides from reaching the jury.

Former lead defense attorney Mike Howard testified that he understood the agreement to allow Anthony to testify if he stayed focused on the confrontation under the tent at a Frisco track meet.

On the final day of the trial, prosecutors told the defense the agreement would not apply if Anthony took the stand and that the defense had opened the door to character evidence. Howard said the dispute led to a heated break in the proceedings and made Anthony unwilling to testify.

Under cross-examination, Howard acknowledged the lawyers never expressly agreed on whether a testifying defendant was covered by the arrangement. He also said he could not say whether prosecutors acted in bad faith.

Former defense attorney Toby Shook gave similar testimony Friday, saying the original defense team understood the agreement to include Anthony’s testimony about the confrontation. The position prosecutors took caught Shook off guard because the defense had always expected Anthony to take the stand in support of his self-defense claim.

The defense also introduced a training presentation that lead prosecutor Bill Wirskye had used in continuing legal education courses on self-defense. One slide advised defense lawyers that the client “(probably) needs to testify.” 

During a break, the defense updated Anthony and explained that Roach said he could not enforce the unwritten agreement, Shook testified. That left Anthony unsure whether testifying would allow prosecutors to introduce character evidence the agreement was meant to keep out.

Wirskye disputed that the agreement was broken. He said the lawyers never discussed the details of what it would allow if Anthony testified and that prosecutors remained willing to honor it. The state feared testimony from Anthony or his mother could inadvertently open the door to character evidence, Wirskye said.

Chitty also considered claims that courtroom access restrictions violated Anthony’s Sixth Amendment right to a public trial and that jury instructions limited jurors’ ability to consider self-defense.

Anthony, 19, was convicted in June of stabbing and killing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during an altercation at a Frisco track meet. A Collin County jury sentenced Anthony to 35 years in prison.

On Saturday, California Governor Gavin Newsom put his signature on the debated “Stop Nick Shirley Act.” This legislative milestone happened mere days after an intruding left-wing activist interrupted the Governor’s Capitol interview, hurling a string of crude personal insults his way.

The newly enacted Assembly Bill 2624 broadens California’s existing Safe at Home program, extending its protections to employees of nonprofit organizations that assist immigrants in navigating the complex immigration system.

Opponents of the bill argue that it serves as a tool for intimidating those attempting to expose unethical behaviors, sparking significant controversy around its intentions.

Residents and organizations will see the law come into effect on October 1, 2027.

Currently, the Safe at Home initiative extends its shield to survivors of domestic violence, victims of elder abuse, and workers within reproductive and gender-affirming health care sectors, offering them substitute mailing addresses to reduce the risk of targeted harassment and violent threats.

Democratic Assemblywoman Mia Bonta (D-Alameda), introduced the bill in February after reports of increased threats and harassment against immigration service providers.

“Our immigrant service providers are living in fear because of extremists looking to demonize the work that they do and the populations they serve,” Bonta said Saturday. “That is an intolerable consequence of the anti-immigrant rhetoric that exists right now.”

Republicans gave the measure the nickname of the “Stop Nick Shirley Act,” coined by Assemblyman Carl DeMaio, R-San Diego.

Shirley, an independent journalist and YouTuber, has made videos following immigrant workers and accusing them of fraud.

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He has criticized AB 2624, saying it was created after he “exposed widespread fraud in immigrant communities” in California and Minnesota.

The controversy intensified after Shirley traveled to San Diego following the viral success of videos he produced about Minnesota.

Newsom said in February that Somali daycare providers there were “under siege” following Shirley’s arrival.

Then came a bizarre twist.

On Wednesday, Shirley was conducting a sidewalk interview outside the California State Capitol in Sacramento when Terry Schanz, chief of staff to Democratic Assemblywoman Tina McKinnor, allegedly barged into the encounter.

Schanz earns $17,319 a month, or $207,828 a year, in taxpayer-funded compensation.

He held up a printed flyer and asked: “Did you guys hear that Nick Shirley has a small penis allegedly?”

According to KCRA, multiple complaints have since been filed with the California Legislature’s HR department, and Schanz is expected to face consequences.

The episode is an awkward backdrop for a bill whose supporters say is designed to combat harassment and doxxing.

Schanz has faced other controversy, too.

His name surfaced in a 2025 wrongful-termination lawsuit containing allegations of political bullying and a toxic workplace culture within top Assembly leadership.

His office also faced scrutiny in January over allegations that it pressured nonprofit newsroom CalMatters to alter footage involving McKinnor after a reporter asked her a tough question about an expensive designer handbag.

The fight over AB 2624 even reached the US Senate, where Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., referred to it as the “Protect Fraudsters Act.”

Bonta has rejected that characterization, saying the law does not conflate legitimate journalism with the doxxing targeted by Safe at Home.

But Newsom has now made the measure law.

Bunny Levine, celebrated for her memorable roles in hits like “Gilmore Girls” and “La La Land,” passed away at 97 on Thursday, August 20.

The actress died peacefully in her sleep at her residence in Los Angeles’ Tarzana area, as per a report from NBCLA.

Following reports of an “unresponsive person,” the Los Angeles Police Department arrived at Levine’s home. Authorities informed NBC that her passing seems to have been due to natural causes.

The Daily Mail reached out to Levine’s representative for a statement but has not yet received a response.

Before gracing the screen, Levine dedicated over two decades as a school librarian, demonstrating her unwavering commitment to fostering education.

Her professional acting career began in the late 80s and led to her starring in numerous television and film projects for decades. 

Levine was born on December 22, 1928 in the city of East Orange in New Jersey. 

Her interest for acting and performing began at an early age, per her official IMDB page. 

She often took on roles in both local and school productions, and had initially majored in Theater Arts in college before switching to a different degree. 

Following graduation, Levine put her focus into raising her children with her husband Bernard and worked as a librarian for 25 years. 

The late star retired early and stepped back into her passion for acting, where she began taking acting classes as well as going to auditions. 

‘Acting is always what I wanted to do, but it wasn’t practical,’ she previously told Mel Magazine. 

‘I don’t know if you’ve seen a picture of me, but I wasn’t a good young leading lady.’

She added, ‘I’m short and a little character-y. I wasn’t ugly, but I wasn’t beautiful either, so acting just wasn’t practical.’ 

After the passing of her husband in 2003, Levine notably later relocated from New York to Los Angeles as she started booking acting gigs in commercials and other projects, per IMDB. 

Her first professional acting credit was the 1988 horror comedy titled Slime City. 

She was then cast in the 1990 movie Cadillac Man and appeared in episodes of As The World Turns and Law & Order in the late 90s.  

Her acting career continued in the 2000s and she appeared in an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond in 2004. 

‘That was the first bigger thing I did in Los Angeles,’ she told Mel Magazine of her role in Everybody Loves Raymond. 

‘In that, I was a friend of Raymond’s mother, and me and a couple of other older women kept dropping things to admire Ray Romano’s rear end. 

‘I never really thought that much about it, but I guess, in retrospect, after that I kept getting a lot of those roles,’ Levine said.

That same year, she portrayed the character of Mrs. Thompson on the hit series Gilmore Girls. 

Levine continued to take on roles in a number of television projects including Ugly Betty, Private Practice and General Hospital: Night Shift. 

She also appeared in an episode of Community in 2008 as well as two episodes of Criminal Minds. 

The late actress additionally played characters in films such as In My Sleep (2010) and Let Go (2011) which had also starred comedian Kevin Hart.  

In 2014, she appeared with the late James Van Der Beek in an episode of the series Friends With Better Lives.

Levine worked alongside Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs in two episodes of the sitcom 2 Broke Girls. 

Other notable TV projects she starred in are Raising Hope, Southland, The Middle and New Girl. 

In 2016, she appeared in an episode of The Mindy Project with Mindy Kaling. 

That same year, she took on the role of a movie theater cashier in the film La La Land. 

The film, which had also starred Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, was a box office and critical success upon its release in theaters. 

La La Land received 14 Academy Awards nominations and won six, including Best Actress for Stone as well as Best Director for Damien Chazelle. 

Levine’s career continued as she landed more guests roles in shows and feature films. 

In 2021, she played Mrs. McCurdy in the series Shameless also starring Emmy Rossum, William H. Macy and Jeremy Allen White. 

Three years later, the star worked with Jane Squibb in the comedic drama Thelma (2024). 

Her acting credits continued through 2026, such as the movie The Cure as well as the short film Achiever.  

A teenager, just 15 years old, has been taken into custody in connection with a tragic shooting linked to gang activity. This incident resulted in the death of a 17-year-old during a high school football game hosted in Bakersfield, California, local authorities shared.

The unsettling event transpired shortly after 8 p.m. on Friday at Independence High School, during their season opener against Centennial High School, as disclosed by the Bakersfield Police Department.

According to police statements, neither the alleged shooter nor the victim were students of Independence High School, confirming this to News Media.

The police stressed that although the shooting wasn’t directly tied to the football matchup, it unfolded while the game was in progress. The incident took place beyond the stadium’s outer fence yet inside the broader chain-link boundary encircling the field and track.

Officers found the 17-year-old suffering from gunshot wounds. He was taken to Kern Medical, where he was pronounced dead.

Authorities have not publicly identified the victim.

Police announced the arrest of the 15-year-old suspect Saturday on suspicion of murder, firearm-related offenses and participating in a criminal street gang, police told News Media.

Investigators said the suspect and victim knew one another and that the shooting “was not a random act of violence.”

Police said a fight involving several people happened before the shooting. The gunfire erupted while the game was underway, sending players and spectators from the area, according to reports from the scene.

The game was canceled following the shooting.

Police told News Media that the gun used in the shooting has not been recovered. Investigators do not believe there are any additional suspects outstanding.

Officers from the Kern High School District, Bakersfield Police Department and Kern County Sheriff’s Office responded to the campus after reports of gunfire.

“Our deepest sympathies remain with the family and loved ones of the 17-year-old who tragically lost his life. We also recognize the impact this incident will have on the family of the 15-year-old who was arrested,” the Bakersfield Police Department said.

“Two young lives and two families have been forever changed by an act of violence, and we extend our compassion to everyone affected by this tragedy.”

Kern High School District Superintendent Dr. Michael Zulfa said Independence High School staff and members of the district police department responded immediately after the shooting to protect students and spectators, and assist law enforcement and emergency personnel.

The school district said it is working with law enforcement as the investigation continues and will review the circumstances surrounding the shooting, Zulfa said. Counseling and other support services will also be available to students and staff.

“Friday night should have been an evening of school spirit, friendship, and community—a time for students and families to come together and celebrate the beginning of a new school year. Instead, an act of violence forever changed the lives of those who were there and has deeply affected our entire District,” Zulfa said.

The investigation remains ongoing.

News Media also reached out to the Kern County District Attorney’s Office for additional information but did not immediately receive a response.