Judge denies Karmelo Anthony's appeal for a new trial in killing of Austin Metcalf

A judge has denied Karmelo Anthony\u0027s request for a new trial in the murder of Austin Metcalf after his new defense team called for it in the wake of his conviction earlier this summer.Judge Michael Chitty rendered his decision Saturday after testimony stretched into Friday evening. The decision could have a major impact on how people perceive the justice system in Texas.Anthony was\u00a0convicted of murdering 17\u2011year\u2011old Austin Metcalf\u00a0after stabbing him during a Frisco ISD track meet in April 2025. A Collin County jury rejected his self\u2011defense claim and found he intentionally stabbed Metcalf during an altercation.\u00a0What happened this week?Friday\u0027s testimony followed a whirlwind day earlier, during which\u00a0new background information was revealed\u00a0about both Anthony and Metcalf.Two attorneys took the witness stand who are best friends in life but on opposite sides of the case.\u00a0 At one point, their exchange actually got heated over whether Anthony received a fair trial.Anthony returned to the courtroom where he sat beside his defense attorneys, who continued to present their case that his murder trial was so unconventional, the guilty verdict and 35-year sentence should be thrown out.The witness they used to prove that point was Toby Shook, one of Anthony\u0027s trial attorneys, who told the judge that prosecutors put them in a corner.\u00a0Shook says the plan was for Anthony to take the stand in his own defense, but that prosecutors were going to severely limit what he could be asked because of a private gentleman\u0027s agreement not to bring up anything from the backgrounds of the defendant or the victim.What have we learned now?Both sides made the agreement because Metcalf and Anthony have troubled histories or violent behavior.\u00a0Anthony\u0027s background, which\u00a0CBS News Texas\u00a0first revealed publicly last night, was read in the courtroom when the state presented its case.\u00a0In closing arguments, defense attorney Russell Wilson said a heated argument between prosecutors and Anthony\u0027s lawyers caused Anthony to lose trust in the state, contributing to his decision not to testify.Prosecutor Bill Wirskye, the state\u0027s only witness, said there was never an agreement preventing Anthony from taking the stand. Wirskye, who is acting as lead counsel in this hearing and also prosecuted Anthony in the murder trial, said the unusual rules were necessary because of threats, intense public pressure, and misinformation about the case. His argument: the restrictions protected the trial.Wirskye outlined a history of high\u2011profile trials he says were compromised by threats and outside agitators. He claims that justified a murder trial that relied on private pre\u2011trial hearings, a tightly controlled courtroom, and a gentleman\u0027s agreement to keep the backgrounds of Anthony and Austin Metcalf out of public view.But the defense says those measures went too far and that the lack of public access violated federal law.During\u00a0Thursday\u0027s opening statements, the gloves came off between the defense and prosecutors as they exposed the violent backgrounds of both Anthony and Austin Metcalf.The defense said that during the first murder trial against Anthony, the private off-the-record agreements made it impossible for him to have a fair trial.It was revealed Thursday that there was a private off-record agreement to keep the sordid backgrounds of both Anthony and Austin Metcalf from the jury and the public so that the murder trial would focus solely on\u00a0what happened under the tent at the Frisco high school track meet\u00a0last year.\u00a0CBS News Texas learned new details about Austin Metcalf and his twin brother Hunter Metcalf\u0027s background from court documents that included a graffiti incident, his use of racial slurs, bullying and assault allegations.But the never-before-released details of Anthony\u0027s teen years in Louisiana up to the day of his arrest for murder are also disturbing, which include threatening texts, stalking, and assault allegations.