Pondering... will justice be served in this case?
A judge reduced the bond for Karmelo Anthony — who is charged with murder after the fatal stabbing of fellow teen Austin Metcalf at a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas — from $1 million to $250,000, and has placed him on house arrest.
On Monday morning, Anthony was in court for a bond reduction hearing, where his attorneys asked the judge to reduce his bond to $150,000, according to a report by KDFW FOX 4 News.
“Given that this young man has not been in any sort of trouble before, $1 million is not necessary,” defense attorney Mike Howard said, claiming the 17-year-old suspect’s family needs to pay for “security details” in addition to his defense in order “to be able to survive.”
“There’s been a tremendous amount of pressure,” Howard said. “I think at this point, living in a gated community, given everything, the safety of their younger children is very warranted. Security details and criminal defense are not cheap.”
The defense attorney then suggested putting an ankle monitor on the murder suspect and placing him on house arrest to “give this young man a chance to get out of jail and be with his family.”
Judge Angela Tucker of the 199th Judicial District Court ended up reducing Anthony’s bond to $250,000, allowing him to go on house arrest if his family posts bond.
The judge reportedly noted that cases are assigned at random and that she has only been tasked with the bond reduction hearing, adding that another judge — whose identity is not yet known — will be selected to preside over the actual trial.
Judge Tucker also claimed the court has never experienced security issues like the ones they have faced in connection to this case.
“I don’t take that lightly at all. I take those things very seriously,” the judge said. “There is no replacement for the loss of life or the loss of a child. I don’t want the family to think a bond amount is connected to the dignity of loss. You cannot make the person come back.”
