Karmelo Anthony backed out of testifying over concerns of damaging evidence

Karmelo Anthony backed out of testifying over concerns of damaging evidence It was not clear when the judge will issue a ruling on whether to grant a new trial - Bookmark Karmelo Anthony had planned to testify at his Texas murder trial over the fatal stabbing at a high school track meet but ultimately decided against it after concerns emerged that prosecutors could introduce potentially damaging evidence about his past, one of his attorneys said Friday. Anthony, 19, is seeking a new trial after a jury in June sentenced him to 35 years in prison for killing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf, a student at a rival school who was stabbed during a confrontation at a track competition last year. The case has since heightened racial tensions, with both families becoming targets of harrassment. On the second day of a hearing near Dallas, defense attorney Toby Shook said Anthony’s plans to testify fell apart over fears that prosecutors could break agreements not to introduce evidence that might further inflame the already highly charged case. “It was essential that the jury hear Karmelo and hear his explanation,” Shook said. It was not clear when state District Judge Michael Chitty would issue a ruling on whether to grant a new trial. Prosecutor Bill Wirskye has defended the trial as fair and said the possibility of Anthony testifying wasn't part of the original agreement with the defense. Anthony's attorneys say it should have been obvious the teenager would want to explain to jurors himself how he acted in self-defense. Anthony is Black; Metcalf was white. Among the details that jurors never heard, according to attorneys on both sides, were that Anthony once sent a text message fantasizing about stabbing someone and Metcalf had a history of fighting and using racist language. During the trial, lawyers on both sides told jurors the tragedy had nothing to do with race, but social media posts amplified the killing nationwide in racial terms. In an interview with NewsNation, Metcalf's father, Jeff Metcalf, said he supported the original agreement between prosecutors and defense attorneys. He said information about his son's juvenile history does not change what happened the day his son was killed. “We all want our children to be the best they can be, and obviously, we all fall short,” Jeff Metcalf told NewsNation. “It still doesn’t change the facts of the case.” Metcalf's parents and Anthony's parents have attended both days of the hearing. Anthony's attorneys have also told the judge he should get a new trial because of errors that limited access to the proceedings. They have argued that the case’s original judge allowed a “shadow docket” that shielded character information about both sides. The trial in June took place amid heightened court security. Wirskye said there had been threats against a judge who granted Anthony bond, fake autopsy reports circulating online and attempts to intimidate witnesses. Parents of some witnesses also filed protective orders for their children because of threats, according to Wirskye. Anthony secured one legal victory this week when the judge who presided over his trial was removed from the case. Chitty was then assigned to consider the motion for a retrial. Anthony’s attorneys had asked for state District Judge John Roach to be removed in part because of a TV interview in which Roach said jurors “got it right” when they delivered a guilty verdict.