Convicted Murderer Karmelo Anthony Seeks a New Trial, Claims Judge Was Biased

People donated more than half a million dollars to Karmelo Anthony's "defense fund," seeing him as the next Rosa Parks for stabbing another high school student in the heart at a track meet after he was asked to move to his own school's tent. Anthony went ahead with a court-appointed lawyer, claiming he was indigent, and was found guilty of murder. He was sentenced to 35 years in prison, but the story isn't over yet. Fox News reports that Anthony is seeking a new trial, claiming the judge was biased and the jury instructions were confusing.

🚨 Karmelo Anthony — the kid who stabbed 17-year-old Austin Metcalf to death at a high school track meet in Frisco last year, just got his “new trial” hearings set for next month.

He was FOUND GUILTY of first-degree murder. Sentenced to 35 years. Self-defense claim rejected by… pic.twitter.com/3sTxsY0gIJ
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) July 25, 2026

The post continues:

… the jury.
Now his new high-powered legal team is crying:
• Trial was “closed to the public”
• Prosecutors broke some secret deal
• Jury instructions were “misleading”
• And the judge is “biased”
Classic move. Lose fair and square… then scream the system is rigged.
Austin Metcalf is still dead. His family still has a hole that never closes. And we’re supposed to pretend this was just some tragic misunderstanding?
August 19 & 20. Watch closely.

We'll definitely be keeping an eye on this one.

An explainer:

There seems to be a lot of confusion about the upcoming Karmelo Anthony legal proceedings , so let’s clear it up.

This is NOT the appeal.

What is scheduled for August 19 and August 20 are hearings on the Motion to Recuse and the Motion for New Trial. These are post-trial… pic.twitter.com/c5xqQIwZiE
— Sarah Fields (@SarahisCensored) July 25, 2026

The post continues:

… proceedings that occur in the trial court, not the appellate court.
In Texas, a motion for new trial must generally be filed within 30 days after sentencing, and if it isn’t ruled on, it is automatically overruled by operation of law after 75 days. The trial court’s authority over that motion is limited to this early post-judgment period. These hearings are simply part of that NORMAL process before the appeal moves forward.
The actual appeal will be handled separately by the Court of Appeals after the appellate record is completed and briefing begins. It can take years.
As for these upcoming hearings, my opinion has not changed. Based on everything presented at trial and the applicable law, I fully expect both the Motion to Recuse and the Motion for New Trial to be denied.
Don’t confuse routine post-trial hearings with the appeal itself. They are two separate stages of the criminal process.