Karmelo Anthony’s request for a new trial is now before a new judge, but his murder conviction and 35-year prison sentence remain in place while the post-trial process continues. As of Aug. 21, a Collin County hearing is examining defense claims about the original trial’s procedures, including restrictions on courtroom access and an informal agreement between the lawyers about evidence that would not be presented to jurors.
Anthony, now 19, was convicted of murder in June in the 2025 fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a Frisco-area high school track meet. The jury imposed a 35-year sentence. The current hearing does not retry the facts of the case; it addresses whether legal errors alleged by the defense warrant a new trial.
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Why the case is back in court
Anthony’s post-trial lawyers argue that the original proceedings were compromised by limits on public access, disputed jury instructions and an off-the-record understanding between the prosecution and defense over character evidence. The defense says that dispute affected Anthony’s decision not to testify and denied him a complete defense.
Prosecutors dispute that account. Collin County First Assistant District Attorney Bill Wirskye said in a statement reported by ABC News that the prosecution team acted ethically and followed the court’s rulings and the agreements reached with trial counsel. At the hearing, prosecutors have argued that Anthony received a fair trial and that his original attorneys agreed to the approach used.
Trial judge recused from post-trial proceedings
A separate judge granted the defense request to remove Judge John Roach from further proceedings in the case this week. According to ABC News, the recusal order found that the evidence presented raised grounds on which the judge’s impartiality might reasonably be questioned. Retired District Judge Michael Chitty has been assigned to hear the motion for a new trial.
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The recusal is significant procedurally, but it did not vacate Anthony’s conviction or sentence. The question now is whether Judge Chitty will grant the new-trial motion. NBC DFW reported that Chitty has until Monday to issue a ruling under the applicable deadline.
What the hearing is examining
The two sides have focused on a so-called “gentleman’s agreement” that kept certain character evidence concerning both Anthony and Metcalf out of the jury trial. Reporting from the Associated Press, PBS NewsHour and KERA describes the agreement as an effort to focus the trial on the confrontation at the track meet rather than prior conduct that could have intensified the already high-profile case.
Anthony’s new lawyers contend that the arrangement and related courtroom decisions unfairly constrained the defense. Prosecutors contend that the arrangement was agreed to by trial counsel and that it helped keep the trial focused on the events at issue. Those competing arguments are for the post-trial court to evaluate; neither side’s hearing claims are themselves findings by the judge.
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Where the case stands now
Anthony was convicted of murder and sentenced to 35 years in prison in June 2026.
The trial judge was recused from further proceedings; a retired judge is now handling the new-trial motion.
The hearing has examined defense claims about trial procedures and the prosecution’s response to those claims.
No new trial had been ordered in the latest verified reporting on Aug. 21.
The case has attracted intense national attention and public debate. The current legal question is narrower: whether the new judge finds that the challenged procedures require a new trial. Until a ruling is issued, Anthony’s conviction and sentence remain in effect.
