Key Takeaways
- A 12-person jury was selected in the Karmelo Anthony case, and none of the jurors were Black.
- Assistant District Attorney Dewey Mitchell maintained that the eligible Black jurors were all dismissed for non-racial reasons, including being educators.
- If convicted, Anthony could face between five and 99 years in prison as his attorneys prepare a self-defense argument.
The murder trial of Karmelo Anthony is underway. On Wednesday (June 3), 12 jury members were selected in the case against the 19-year-old, and notably, none of them are Black.
According to CBS News, all eligible African American jurors were dismissed by prosecutors after a full day of vetting. Much of the questioning centered on Anthony’s age, race, and whether jurors would hold it against him if he decided not to testify. The outlet noted that one prospective candidate, who was identified as Black, reportedly said they’d “have a hard time putting a brother in jail." Meanwhile, another allegedly stated, “Silence is deafening — it matters. It’s difficult to ignore.”
Although Anthony’s race came up in questions about whether it would influence jurors’ judgment, prosecutors maintained that the incident — in which the then-17-year-old was accused of stabbing Austin Metcalf at a track meet in Frisco, Texas — was “race-neutral” and therefore did not require a diverse panel.
Karmelo Anthony’s defense raised concerns over prosecutors’ jury strikes
As FOX 4 noted, the defense raised concerns during the second round of strikes after prosecutors dismissed three potential jurors, all of whom were Black, despite them being “similarly situated” to a white woman who remained in the pool. Assistant District Attorney Dewey Mitchell pushed back on the idea that race played any role. Instead, he insisted they didn't want educators seated on the jury since the alleged incident took place at a school-related function with high school-aged children.
The prosecution did, however, keep one educator, who’s actually an esthetician at a trade school rather than a traditional K-12 environment.
What Karmelo Anthony could face if convicted of the death of Austin Metcalf
With prosecutors arguing that the case is “race-neutral,” it will be interesting to see whether the topic comes up at any point during the trial, which is expected to last about two weeks. If convicted, Anthony could face anywhere from five to 99 years or life in prison.
Anthony’s defense, which includes attorney Mike Howard, is expected to rely heavily on self-defense, meaning prosecutors will have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the stabbing wasn’t justified. Another thing to factor in is the list of 35 witnesses, who could play a major role in shaping the jury's understanding of what happened that day.