What’s Next for Karmelo Anthony After New Trial Is Denied?

Karmelo Anthony’s bid for a new trial is over – for now. A Texas judge has rejected his request to throw out his murder conviction, leaving Anthony’s 35-year prison sentence intact and sending the case to the next stage: an appeal before a higher court.

Anthony’s defense argued that his original trial was fundamentally unfair. As The Root previously reported, his lawyers pointed to courtroom-access restrictions, concerns about the impartiality of the original judge and an informal agreement between prosecutors and defense attorneys about keeping potentially inflammatory background information about Anthony and Austin Metcalf, the victim, away from the jury. They also argued that the dispute over that agreement ultimately affected Anthony’s decision not to testify.

The judge who presided over Anthony’s trial, John Roach Jr., was also removed from the post-trial proceedings after a visiting judge found that comments he made publicly after the verdict could reasonably raise questions about his impartiality, as we previously told you. Retired Judge Michael Chitty then took over the hearing and ultimately rejected the request for a new trial, according to The Dallas Morning News.

“We respect, and expected, the court’s decision denying the motion for a new trial,” Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis said after the denial. “The jury’s guilty verdict stands, and we remain confident in the process. Every defendant has the right to appeal, and our thoughts and prayers remain with the Metcalf family in the painful wake of last week’s hearing.”

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Now, Anthony can take those arguments to the Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas. That is a very different process from the trial court hearing. The appeals court generally will not retry the case or hear a new round of witnesses. Instead, Anthony’s lawyers will argue that legal errors or constitutional violations affected the original proceedings. The state will have a chance to respond, and the appellate judges will review the record from the trial and post-trial proceedings.

But even then, Anthony has a long road ahead of him.

His conviction will not go away simply because his lawyers appeal. And an appeal is not a guarantee of a new trial. His attorneys will have to persuade the appellate court that the problems they identified were serious enough to warrant relief.

“Our commitment to our client has not changed,” Anthony’s attorney, Russell Wilson, said following the ruling. “We will continue to advocate vigorously on his behalf through every lawful avenue available.”

The case has already become much bigger than the April 2025 confrontation at a Frisco track meet that left 17-year-old Metcalf dead. It has become a national flashpoint over race, self-defense, courtroom fairness and how the justice system handles highly publicized cases. We previously told you that both sides have now revealed deeply personal and troubling information that was kept from the jury during the original trial.

For now, though, the 35-year sentence stands. Anthony’s next fight is in the appeals court.