On Monday afternoon, the defense team officially rested its case without calling Karmelo Anthony to the stand. According to multiple media observers the defense was very weak. The defense witnesses ended up being solid witnesses for the prosecution upon cross examination.
The evidence against Karmelo Anthony is overwhelming. The defense was reliant upon previous fabrications sold to the media that did not prove out in the courtroom.
The prosecution witnesses were consistent and strong in the case against the accused.
The jury was dismissed for the day Monday and is expected to return Tuesday morning for closing arguments.
There was an initial discussion about a plea agreement, likely spurred by the weight of the prosecution. However, no plea deal was reached, likely rejected by the prosecution, and the case is now headed toward jury deliberation.
Keep in mind if Karmelo Anthony had taken a plea agreement before the trial, his family would not have been able to fundraise from the process. The decision to push the case to trial was as much for financial gain as it was a roll of the dice on whether their attempted racist narrative would work.
The jury will be sequestered during deliberation.
Karmelo Anthony is ineligible for both the death penalty and life in prison without parole since he was only 17 when he killed Austin Metcalf.
The maximum sentencing he’ll receive is life in prison with the possibility of parole, if he is convicted on his first-degree murder charge. This means parole eligibility after 30 years, or half of his sentence, depending on the specifics.
American Buddhist Net 