{"id":44473,"date":"2026-08-14T14:10:48","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T09:10:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=44473"},"modified":"2026-08-14T14:10:48","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T09:10:48","slug":"karmelo-anthonys-lawyers-struck-gentlemans-agreement-with-prosecutors-ahead-of-austin-metcalf-murder-trial-court-docs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=44473","title":{"rendered":"Karmelo Anthony&#8217;s lawyers struck &#8216;gentleman&#8217;s agreement&#8217; with prosecutors ahead of Austin Metcalf murder trial: court docs"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F2%2F2026%2F06%2Fanthony-comp.jpg?quality%3D90%26strip%3Dall\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Karmelo Anthony\u2019s lawyers cooked up a so-called \u201cgentleman\u2019s agreement\u201d with Texas prosecutors in a bid to stop potentially damaging evidence from being released during his trial \u2013 as the teen desperately tries to get his <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/06\/10\/us-news\/karmelo-anthony-appeals-murder-conviction-after-family-supporters-claimed-racism\/\">conviction for murdering Austin Metcalf overturned.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The deal was created to ensure his trial was premised around \u201cwhat happened under the tent,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2025\/04\/03\/us-news\/texas-teen-austin-metcalf-fatally-stabbed-by-karmelo-anthony-at-high-school-track-meet\/\">referring to the April 2, 2025,<\/a> stabbing at Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco, Texas, according to court documents <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.com\/news\/article-16047811\/karmelo-anthony-murder-retrial-frisco-texas.html\">seen by the Daily Mail<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The agreement, described as a \u201cgentleman\u2019s agreement\u201d in court documents, blocked the defense and prosecution from mentioning details about Metcalf\u2019s and Anthony\u2019s character and family history.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>An aerial view of the crime scene at Kuykendall Stadium in Texas after Austin Metcalf was stabbed.  <span class=\"credit\">Fox4<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cIn reliance upon the agreement, the defense also did not go into substantial family violence Mr. Anthony had witnessed and been a victim of in his home,\u201d the court documents, which were filed last month by lawyers now representing Anthony, stated.<\/p>\n<p>Mike Howard, Anthony\u2019s lawyer at the time of his murder trial, agreed not to \u201cgo into evidence related to the Metcalf twins\u2019 character, reputation or extraneous offenses\/acts related to violence and bullying as well as racism,\u201d the documents claimed.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-primary-tag\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>Prosecutors wouldn\u2019t mention Anthony\u2019s school disciplinary history and wouldn\u2019t use his cellphone records under the terms of the agreement.<\/p>\n<p>The deal also imposed restrictions on Anthony\u2019s character witnesses at the trial, according to the outlet.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Jeff Metcalf, Austin Metcalf\u2019s father, refused to comment \u201con ongoing court proceedings,\u201d when approached by the Mail.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI and the entire prosecution team conducted this trial ethically and in full compliance with the Court\u2019s rulings and any agreements with defense counsel,\u201d Bill Wirskye, \u00a0the First Assistant at<strong> <\/strong>Collin County District Attorney\u2019s Office, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcdfw.com\/news\/local\/handshake-deal-karmelo-anthonys-trial\/4050186\/\">told KXAS-TV<\/a> last month after news of the \u201cgentleman\u2019s agreement\u201d emerged.<\/p>\n<p>The agreement emerged as Anthony\u2019s team of civil rights attorneys \u2013 including veteran appellate attorney Russell Wilson, civil rights lawyer Brooke Cluse from Ben Crump Law \u2013 try to secure a fresh trial.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Karmelo Anthony is attempting to get his murder conviction overturned.  <span class=\"credit\">Frisco Police Department<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Anthony\u2019s lawyers are gearing up for a recusal hearing which will take place on Wednesday in McKinney, Texas.<\/p>\n<p>They are trying to discharge Judge John Roach \u2013 who oversaw 19-year-old Anthony\u2019s murder trial \u2013 and are claiming his public comments infringed judicial impartiality.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Roach, an elected judge, stood by his decision not to allow cameras into the courtroom as he spoke about the case <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/06\/09\/us-news\/sobbing-karmelo-anthony-learns-his-fate-for-murdering-austin-metcalf-at-texas-high-school-track-meet\/\">two days after Anthony was sentenced<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes, it was an easy decision. I\u2019ll tell you why, my primary goal in every case is to make sure the defendant and the prosecution get a fair trial. Period,\u201d he emphatically <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=_RXga5t4kHw\">told WFAA<\/a> on June 11.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Austin Metcalf was a junior at Memorial High School when he was stabbed.  <span class=\"credit\">Meghan Prall Metcalf\/Facebook<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cI have seen from other cases around the country where cameras in the courtroom changed the way that the judge acted, the lawyers act, [and] some of the witnesses acted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe were not going to have that here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Roach also said the jury came to the correct conclusion because \u201cthey were picked based upon the law.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"single__inline-module inline-module inline-module--newsletter aligncenter inline-module--nypostbusinessunit aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-newsletter\" data-source-unit=\"Inline Newsletter Module Morning Report\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__inner\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__title-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__unsubmitted-title-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with all you need to know\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<p class=\"inline-module__cta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMorning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cThey listened to the facts, it happened in this courtroom, and they got a verdict,\u201d the judge, who is retiring on Dec. 31, added.<\/p>\n<p>If Roach is recused, then Anthony\u2019s defense team would file a motion for a new trial, expected to be the following day.<\/p>\n<p>This will be ruled on by August 24. Under Texas law, a court has 75 days from the date of sentencing to rule on a new trial motion. The motion is denied if a judge doesn\u2019t act.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Karmelo Anthony\u2019s lawyers cooked up a so-called \u201cgentleman\u2019s agreement\u201d with Texas prosecutors in a bid to stop potentially damaging evidence from being released during his trial \u2013 as the teen desperately tries to get his conviction for murdering Austin Metcalf overturned. The deal was created to ensure his trial was premised around \u201cwhat happened under&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":44474,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/anthony-comp.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44473","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-hub"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44473","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=44473"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44473\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/44474"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=44473"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=44473"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=44473"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}