Earlier this summer, a Collin County jury sentenced Anthony to 35 years in prison after finding him guilty of murdering 17-year-old Metcalf at a Frisco track meet. Had Judge Michael Chitty granted Anthony a new trial, the previous murder conviction would have been suspended.
But, despite the defense’s efforts, Chitty was not compelled by the attorney’s arguments that Anthony did not receive a fair trial.
Chitty, a retired judge from Kaufman County, was chosen to oversee the case after the trial judge was recused. He heard arguments that the teen’s right to a fair trial was compromised by a variety of factors — a broken gentleman’s agreement between the prosecution and defense, a lack of public access to the trial, and what they classified as unclear instructions from the former judge to the jury.
Lawyers on Anthony’s appellate team did not immediately respond to calls and emailed requests for comment on the denial Saturday afternoon.
Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis wrote in a statement that his team “expected” Chitty’s decision to deny Anthony’s request for a new trial.
“The jury’s guilty verdict stands, and we remain confident in the process. Every defendant has the right to appeal, and our thoughts and prayers remain with the Metcalf family in the painful wake of last week’s hearing,” Willis wrote.
Attorneys homed in on details about both Anthony’s and Metcalf’s pasts that were previously unreported in court — allegations that Metcalf engaged in racist and aggressive behavior, and that Anthony stalked his then-girlfriend and had an obsession with violence.
Despite the new information about the teen’s past, Dallas criminal defense attorney and former judge David Finn said that getting a new trial was highly unlikely. Finn, who is not connected to the case, noted that requests for a new trial are often denied unless serious allegations of juror misconduct, previously unknown evidence, or attorney misconduct come to light.
“They are very rarely granted,” he wrote in a previous statement to The News.
With a new trial off the table, the case now moves to the Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas, where Anthony is appealing his conviction. There, he could reprise the same arguments — or bring up new allegations.
Dallas criminal-appellate attorney Brett Ordiway, who isn’t involved in the case, previously told The Dallas Morning News the appeals process will likely be a long one, with the appellate court unlikely to have the required material from both sides before early 2027.
“That’ll be a long road ahead there,” he said.
This is a developing story and will be updated.