Hearing on Karmelo Anthony’s bid for new trial in track meet stabbing set for Thursday

Karmelo Anthony’s New-Trial Hearing Set for Thursday Under New Judge

Tyunews.com – A Collin County, Texas courtroom will host arguments this Thursday over whether 19-year-old Karmelo Anthony deserves a retrial. The proceeding arrives just two months after a jury handed down a murder conviction and a 35-year prison sentence for the fatal stabbing of a fellow student at a high school track meet in Frisco.

The Conviction and Sentencing

Following four days of witness testimony, the jury deliberated for roughly three hours before returning a guilty verdict on June 9. After additional hours of deliberation, the same panel imposed the 35-year sentence. Anthony had been booked into Collin County Jail, with his mugshot made public that same day.

The underlying incident occurred in April 2025, when Anthony stabbed 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during a track meet. Prosecutors characterized the act as “unjustified” and described it as “plain and simple murder.” The defense, by contrast, maintained that Anthony was acting in self-defense.

Grounds for the New-Trial Motion

Anthony’s legal team filed a motion arguing the teenager was pressured into giving up his right to take the stand. They pointed to an alleged disagreement between defense counsel and prosecutors over whether his testimony would fall within an agreement that restricted certain character evidence. In their telling, that dispute deprived him of a “complete defense.”

The motion also took aim at trial judge John Roach, alleging he gave the jury improper instructions and that his restrictions on public access to the courtroom denied Anthony a fair trial.

Prosecution Pushes Back

Collin County First Assistant District Attorney Bill Wirskye told ABC Dallas affiliate WFAA that Anthony’s new attorneys “filed a motion containing several inaccurate characterizations of the trial proceedings.”

“I and the entire prosecution team conducted this trial ethically and in full compliance with the Court’s ruling and any agreements with defense counsel,” Wirskye added.

Judge Roach Removed; Chitty Takes Over

The Thursday hearing will be presided over by a different judge. Judge Sid Harle granted the defense’s motion to recuse Roach from all further matters in the case. In his Wednesday order, Harle wrote that grounds existed for recusal “in that the evidence adduced at the hearing is such that the respondent judge’s impartiality might reasonably be questioned.”

Retired Kaufman County District Judge Michael Chitty has been assigned to oversee the matter going forward. Anthony’s attorneys said Wednesday they were “pleased” with Harle’s ruling and “look forward to presenting the merits of Karmelo’s motion for a new trial to a fair and independent judge.”

The recusal motion had cited what it termed “problematic comments” Roach made in a post-verdict interview, claiming the judge “endorsed the jury’s guilty verdict” and defended his courtroom limitations. It also referenced a public letter Roach issued after the trial, in which he stated that those who worked on the case “contributed to ensuring the process was conducted fairly.”

Courtroom Restrictions Remain in Place

Before the trial began, Roach imposed a gag order and banned electronics from the courtroom, citing the intense public and media attention surrounding the case.

“Due to the significant public and media interest in this case, the Court finds that specific procedures are necessary to ensure the Defendant’s right to a fair and impartial trial, the orderly administration of justice, the safety and security of all participants, and reasonable public access consistent with constitutional requirements,” Roach wrote in a May order.

On Wednesday, Judge Chitty ruled that those trial procedures would remain in effect for any future proceedings in the Anthony case.