Karmelo Anthony Judge Denies New Trial Motion

Published August 22, 2026 3:12 PM PDT

Karmelo Anthony will not be getting a new trial in his murder case ... a judge denied his request, which was based on an alleged "gentleman's agreement" between the two sides.

Kaufman County District Judge Michael Chitty shot down the motion on Saturday in a brief order ... though he didn't provide reasoning.

Karmelo's attorneys argued in their motion for a new trial that a "gentleman's agreement" between the prosecution and defense prevented their client from testifying.

Clearly, the judge didn't see it that way ... though Karmelo's legal team can appeal the ruling.

In a statement to TMZ, Karmelo's side says they are disappointed in the ruling but not deterred -- insisting they'll continue to fight for Karmelo, who they say was denied a fair trial.

They go on ... "The defense made consequential decisions throughout the trial in reliance upon an agreement with the State concerning the evidence that would—and would not—be introduced, only to have the State change its position at a critical point in the proceedings.

"We maintain that errors in the jury instructions impaired the jury’s consideration of the issue at the very heart of Karmelo’s defense: whether he acted in self-defense. The denial of this motion does not make those issues, or others not yet raised, disappear. Therefore, this denial does not end our work."

The lawyers say they know this case may not be won with a single motion ... but they will continue to challenge Karmelo's conviction through "every legal remedy" available.

As we reported ... Karmelo was found guilty of murdering Austin Metcalf at a 2025 track meet and sentenced to 35 years in prison.

Shortly after Karmelo's sentence was handed down, the 19-year-old hired a powerhouse legal team -- including attorney Russell Wilson -- to appeal his conviction.