McKINNEY, Texas — The trial judge who presided over the case of Texas teenager convicted of fatally stabbing a 17-year-old athlete at a high school track meet was ordered removed from the case as the defendant seeks a new trial and appeals his conviction.
\n\nKarmelo Anthony, now 19, was convicted of murder and sentenced to 35 years in prison after a suburban Dallas jury in June rejected his claims of self-defense during a confrontation with Austin Metcalf in the stadium bleachers last year.
\n\nAnthony’s legal team argued Wednesday that a retrial was warranted in part because state District Judge John Roach enforced overly strict courtroom rules and gave an interview after the trial was over.
\n\nA new judge will be assigned for Thursday’s hearing on the retrial request.
\n\nAnthony attended the hearing in Collin County wearing a green jump suit. His parents and Metcalf’s parents also were in the courtroom.
\n\nThe case attracted attention in part because of a flood of social media posts that amplified the killing in racial terms. Anthony is Black; Metcalf was white. Lawyers on both sides, however, told jurors the tragedy had nothing to do with race.
\n\nAfter the order to remove Roach, Anthony supporters…
Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/