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12-Person All-White Jury Selected for Texas Murder Trial

6/5/2026

23 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

The 12-person jury selected for Karmelo Anthony’s murder trial includes no Black jurors.
Anthony, 19, faces first-degree murder charges for the April 2 2025 stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a Frisco track meet, with trial set for June 4 2026 in Collin County, Texas, his bond reduced to $250,000 and a possible sentence of five to 99 years or life.
He pleaded not guilty, claiming self-defense, while prosecutor Bill Wirskye calls it murder.

History

Historical Context

The 1986 Batson v. Kentucky ruling—authored by Justice Lewis F. Powell, joined by Thurgood Marshall—ended race-based peremptory challenges after data showed 30 % of Black jurors were excluded in Dallas. Powers v. Ohio (1991) and McCollum (1992) upheld the Equal Protection fair-cross-section rule. In 2025, Collin County Attorney Bill Wirskye’s all-White 12-person jury in Karmelo Anthony’s murder trial revives Batson concerns.

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Story summary

The 12-person jury selected for Karmelo Anthony’s murder trial includes no Black jurors.
Anthony, 19, faces first-degree murder charges for the April 2 2025 stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a Frisco track meet, with trial set for June 4 2026 in Collin County, Texas, his bond reduced to $250,000 and a possible sentence of five to 99 years or life.
He pleaded not guilty, claiming self-defense, while prosecutor Bill Wirskye calls it murder.

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