Karmelo Anthony, now 19, was convicted of murder and sentenced to 35 years in prison after a suburban Dallas jury in June rejected his claims of self-defense during a confrontation with Austin Metcalf in the stadium bleachers last year. The trial judge who presided over the case was ordered removed from the case as the defendant seeks a new trial and appeals his conviction.
Judge Removed Amid Retrial Request
Anthony's legal team argued on Wednesday that a retrial was warranted in part because the state district judge John Roach enforced overly strict courtroom rules and gave an interview after the trial was over. A new judge will be assigned for Thursday's hearing on the retrial request.
Anthony attended the hearing in Collin county wearing a green jumpsuit. His parents and Austin's parents also were in the courtroom.
Case Attracted Widespread Attention
The case attracted attention in part because of a flood of social media posts that amplified the killing in racial terms. Anthony is Black; Austin was white. Lawyers on both sides, however, told jurors the tragedy had nothing to do with race. After the order to remove Roach, Anthony's supporters cheered the courthouse hallways and outside the building.
Anthony did not testify during the trial. During the trial, students described a heated exchange over Anthony's refusal on a rainy spring day to leave a tent that belonged to Austin's team. The teens went to different high schools.
Details of the Confrontation
Several schools were competing when Anthony sat under the Memorial high school tent that was perched in the bleachers. Austin and others had repeatedly told Anthony to leave, witnesses testified, leading to an escalating confrontation. Prosecutors said Anthony provoked Austin, 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. Austin pushed Anthony, according to witnesses, who said Anthony then pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the chest.
Next Steps in the Legal Process
A new judge will now preside over the retrial hearing scheduled for Thursday. The outcome of that hearing will determine whether a new trial is granted to Anthony, who has maintained his innocence and argued self-defense in the fatal stabbing of the 17-year-old athlete.
