Karmelo Anthony's lawyers seek new trial, judge recusal

The legal team for Karmelo Anthony has launched a formal challenge to his murder conviction, filing motions this week that seek both a new trial and the removal of the judge who presided over the case. Anthony, now 19, was convicted last month and sentenced to 35 years in prison for the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas, in April 2025.

In motions filed on Tuesday, Anthony's new appellate attorneys argue that his constitutional rights were violated during the trial. They claim courtroom restrictions on cameras and livestreams deprived him of a right to a public trial. The defense also contends prosecutors violated an unwritten agreement to exclude certain character evidence, which they say pressured Anthony into not testifying in his own defense. The attorneys further allege that jury instructions improperly weakened Anthony's claim of self-defense, which was central to his case.

In a separate filing, the defense is seeking the recusal of state District Court Judge John Roach from all remaining post-trial proceedings. The motion cites a post-verdict interview Roach gave to a Dallas television station, as well as a public...