karmelo anthony case

Legal experts say Carmelo Anthony, a Texas teenager accused of stabbing a student on a high school track, could face an “uphill battle” if his attorney files a self-defense claim.

Anthony, 17, of Frisco, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of Austin Metcalf at Kuykendall Stadium on April 2.

After a $250,000 bail was set last week, which a Collins County judge agreed to reduce from $1 million, one of Anthony’s defense attorneys, Mike Howard, suggested the teenager would plead self-defense at an upcoming hearing.

Julie Rendelman, former deputy chief of the Kings County District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, said Anthony may have trouble proving he used reasonable force to protect himself.

The attorney, who now runs a private criminal defense practice in New York, dismissed the idea that Anthony had a clear claim of self-defense, based on publicly available information he has read. Rendelman was not involved in the case.

“If the evidence is as it is, I think we’re going to have an uphill battle claiming self-defense,” he told Fox News Digital Monday.

“But we could learn a lot, a lot more that would change that perspective. And that could affect the findings of a jury or a grand jury.”

According to witnesses, Metcalf, of Memorial High School, and Anthony, of Centennial High School, were involved in a verbal altercation that ended with the defendant allegedly punching the victim once in the chest.

Anthony complied with officers and was taken into custody, according to the arrest report. He allegedly asked police if Metcalf was going to be okay and if his own actions would be considered self-defense.

The defendant was released from the Collin County Jail on bail last Monday, just hours after his bond was reduced during an hour-long hearing at the Collin County Courthouse.

Her father, Andrew Anthony, was the only person to testify in court.

Anthony’s defense attorney questioned the teenager’s father about his character during the trial. His father said Anthony was an “A” student and captain of the football and track teams.

He also told the court that he was the only provider and could not afford to pay the $1 million bond.

The GiveSendGo fundraiser to support Anthony and his family, which had raised more than $412,000 by the time of the trial, was used to pay the defendant’s parents’ rent and bills, as well as legal fees, and was not a “bond fund,” defense attorneys said.

The defendant was ordered to wear an ankle monitor and stay at his parents' house. He is not allowed to use social media and is not allowed to communicate with friends.

After his release, Anthony's lawyer suggested that the teenager would claim self-defense at his upcoming trial, a right granted to all Americans.

"Every Texan deserves the right to defend themselves if they fear for their life," Howard told reporters outside the courthouse. "Self-defense is a protection that applies to every person. There are two sides to every story."

After his release, Anthony's defense attorney, Mike Howard, suggested that the teenager would plead self-defense at an upcoming hearing.

"Every Texan deserves the right to defend themselves when they fear for their life," Howard told reporters outside the courthouse. "Self-defense is a protection that applies to every person. There are two sides to every story. Carmelo was a 17-year-old kid and a very good student. He was the captain of the track team and the captain of his football team. This is a tragedy for both families on both sides."

When asked why they didn't use the donations to pay the bond, Anthony's father explained: "We don't have access to the money."

The defense attorney later explained that the money raised wasn't for bail. Instead, the money was used to cover the family's living expenses, including rent and bills, as the Independent reported they had to miss work and hire a lawyer.

"This family has to survive. There's a lot of pressure," said prosecutor Mike Howard. "I think in this day and age, living in a gated community, the safety of young children is pretty much guaranteed. The security and criminal defense detail is not out of line."