THE KARMELO ANTHONY SAGA: Sometimes, the System Actually Works.
From Fox News this morning:
A Texas judge denied Karmelo Anthony a new trial Saturday, after his attorneys argued that courtroom restrictions, hearings held without Anthony present and the handling of an unwritten agreement between his former lawyers and prosecutors violated his rights.
Retired District Judge Michael Chitty denied Anthony’s request after reviewing the motion, court record, evidence and arguments, briefs and relevant case law, according to his order. The order did not detail his reasoning for the decision.
The decision leaves Anthony’s murder conviction and 35-year prison sentence in place. His challenge will continue on direct appeal.
Well, look at that. Sometimes the system actually works. The guilty get held accountable, the legal process runs its course, and the sky somehow remains above our heads.
I’ve watched this case unfold from the beginning, and longtime readers already know my usual approach: let the story actually play out before rendering my own verdict in these pages. Don’t convict somebody because Twitter demands it. Don’t exonerate somebody because activists demand it. And, above all, don’t decide the answer first and then go rummaging through the facts looking for something you can staple onto it.
At RedState, Kyle Becker adds, “Anthony’s legal battle isn’t necessarily over. His attorneys can now take their challenge to the Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas, where his direct appeal of the murder conviction is already headed. The defense can raise some of the same issues there, and potentially advance additional claims involving the conduct of the trial. That process could take a while. Dallas appellate attorney Brett Ordiway, who isn’t involved in Anthony’s case, previously told The Dallas Morning News that the appellate court may not even have the complete record and briefing necessary to seriously consider the case until early 2027. ‘That’ll be a long road ahead there,’ Ordiway said. For now, though, the most immediate attempt to undo Anthony’s conviction has failed.”
