Karmelo Anthony’s newly assembled legal team this week asked a Collin County court to toss his murder conviction, order a full retrial and remove the judge who presided over his case. In a stack of post-trial motions, the lawyers argue that procedural missteps and tight courtroom limits robbed Anthony of a fair chance to present his defense. The filings come after a jury in June found Anthony guilty and the judge sentenced him to 35 years in prison for the 2025 stabbing of Austin Metcalf at a Frisco high school track meet.
The jury returned its verdict on June 9 and the court imposed the 35-year sentence, according to Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The case drew intense local attention and protests as families and community groups closely followed the proceedings.
Who’s on the appeal team
A lineup of appellate, civil rights and criminal defense attorneys, including Russell Wilson II, Gary Bledsoe, Michael Ware, Brooke Cluse, Sean Daredia and Justin A. Moore, has stepped in to represent Anthony pro bono and says a notice of appeal was filed promptly after the verdict. As reported by CBS News, the lawyers say they will independently review the record and pursue all available avenues of appeal.
In motions filed Tuesday, the defense asked that state district judge John Roach be removed from any post-trial decisions, arguing that his public remarks and a written letter defending the proceedings make it impossible for him to fairly rule on new-trial requests. The filings say prosecutors repudiated an unwritten agreement to exclude certain character and extraneous-offense evidence, a move the lawyers say deprived Anthony of the chance to testify, and that the court gave counsel as little as ten minutes to advise a 19-year-old client about waiving Fifth Amendment protections, according to NBC News. The motions also attack the speed and scheduling of the trial and note that the seated jury did not include a single Black juror, a point raised during the proceedings and in local coverage. Fort Worth Star-Telegram documented the jury composition and the community response.
What the lawyers say
The new team describes the filings as a first, necessary step to ensure that any legal errors are preserved and argued on appeal. “Our appellate team has been retained following the conviction to conduct a fresh, independent review of the trial record,” the lawyers said in a statement, as reported by CBS News. They emphasized respect for the Metcalf family’s loss while pledging to press every issue supported by the record.
Judge Roach's response
Judge John Roach has defended his handling of the case in media interviews and in a public letter thanking court staff and participating agencies. The Collin County website published a post-trial note from Judge Roach along with related trial information, which the defense cites in asking that he be removed from post-trial rulings.
What’s next
The motions for a new trial and for the judge’s recusal will be argued in Collin County district court before any appeal moves up the appellate ladder. Meanwhile, the county’s release of body-camera and surveillance video from the incident has added more material to the record and may shape which issues the appellate team presses. AP News covered the newly released footage and the broader timeline of filings.
Legal implications
Legal observers say the most likely grounds for reversal would center on jury selection and alleged structural errors, including whether peremptory strikes were used in a racially discriminatory way under Batson v. Kentucky and whether procedural rulings deprived Anthony of the right to testify. Those questions, along with any proven denial of public-trial protections or other constitutional rights, would be central on appeal and will turn on what the trial record shows. Analysts following the case told LegalClarity that the Batson challenge and related procedural claims are likely to be front and center as the defense builds its appeal.
