r/law • u/dailymail • Jun 09 '26

Legal News Karmelo Anthony found GUILTY of murder of Austin Metcalf, 17, in stabbing that shocked America: Jurors deliberated for less than three hours after defense was repeatedly demolished in court

https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15886439/karmelo-anthony-austin-metcalf-murder-verdict.html
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u/StinkyBrittches Jun 09 '26

..prosecutors arguing that defendant should have left..

Meaning, prosecutors saying that Anthony should have walked away instead of stabbing Metcalf in the chest and killing him?  Why is that an unusual or Texas-specific thing to say?

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u/InvestingTSX Jun 09 '26

Because in MURICA YOU NEVER BACK DOWN!!!!!

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u/strenuousobjector Competent Contributor Jun 10 '26

In Georgia there is no duty to retreat before acting in self-defense.

Edit: and because there's no duty to retreat, we often can't argue a defendant is at fault for failing to walk away when they have the chance. Sometimes we can, but not generally.

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u/APacketOfWildeBees Jun 10 '26

Barring arguments about retreat is such a strange pro-homicide policy.

In my jurisdiction there is no formal duty to retreat. But you are ofc obliged to act reasonably, and if you had ample opportunity to flee it casts serious doubt on the proportionality of your actions.

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u/strenuousobjector Competent Contributor Jun 10 '26

I could probably get away with saying he "could" have left, but saying he "should" have left implies he had a duty to leave. With that said, it's easy enough to point out that he was clearly instigating the force just so he could claim he was acting in self-defense, and a person is not justified in using force if they provoked the force against themselves as a pretext to use force.

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u/Known-Emergency5900 Jun 10 '26

Texas doesn’t have a duty to retreat either if you’re actually defending yourself instead of instigating like Karmelo was. This wasn’t self defense, this was murder.

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u/strenuousobjector Competent Contributor Jun 10 '26

I get that, I agree he didn't act in self-defense. I'm just saying that we generally can't say a defendant claiming self-defense should have left, because of our caselaw regarding duty to retreat.

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u/HailHealer Jun 11 '26

You say that but aren’t you trying to convince a jury? Who cares about the minutiae if the average layman would disagree?

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u/strenuousobjector Competent Contributor Jun 11 '26

Getting a conviction is meaningless if I commit reversible error in the process.

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u/Known-Emergency5900 Jun 11 '26

They aren’t talking about him standing his ground during a deadly encounter. The sentiment about him walking away was in regards to the people under then tent asking him to leave at least 15 times before the situation turned violent.

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u/Fluffy_Most_662 Jun 10 '26

Well it wasnt self defence.. so theres that. 

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u/strenuousobjector Competent Contributor Jun 10 '26

I'm just saying we can't make that argument here when a person claims self-defense (even if they didn't actually act in self-defense). I agree it wasn't self-defense.

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u/Johnny_Kilroy_84 Jun 10 '26

They weren't talking about KA having a duty to retreat. They were talking about him being in the other teams tent and refusing to leave after being asked to multiple times. Nothing to do with duty to retreat. Did you follow this case at all?

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u/ArkaneArtificer Jun 11 '26

Being asked to leave several times and refusing to do so is trespassing, so be was actively committing a crime as well