Karmelo Anthony is filing an appeal and says he is BROKE and needs a public defender! Anthony’s mother started a fundraiser during the original trial that brought in OVER $600,000. Other than legal defense, the funds were to be used for relocation, living expenses, transportation, counseling, and security. That fundraiser on GoFundMe was shut down after Anthony was found guilty of murdering Austin Metcalf.
According to WFAA and People Magazine, the court document for the appeal says that “Anthony is a ‘penniless, destitute, and indigent person, too poor to employ counsel to represent me on the appeal.'”
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WFAA reports, Anthony, 19, who was taken into custody Tuesday at the Collin County courthouse after the verdict was read in court, said in a court document he filed himself that he has no money and wants the judge to appoint him an appeals attorney, court documents show.
Anthony is a “penniless, destitute, and indigent person, too poor to employ counsel to represent me on the appeal,” the document states. It appears to be a form document originally prepared for use in Dallas County, but he scratched through and wrote in “Collin.”
Yahoo Entertainment ran a story by In Touch Weekly which states that hours after GiveSendGo removed a fundraiser for Karmelo Anthony, a separate campaign seeking support for his appeal appeared, underscoring continued financial activity around the case.
Titled “Karmelo Appellate Fund,” the effort states it will finance the appeals process, including lawyers and research. Organizers note it is distinct from the earlier GiveSendGo campaign tied to legal defense and family support. According to the page, Anthony’s mother, Kala Hayes, is listed as organizer, and the fund emphasizes transparency and accountability.
A Google search for the fundraiser shows it in the results, but when you click it, the GiveSendGo page displays the message “This campaign is not active.”
Part of the description in the Google search result is, “We the Anthony Family are trying to raise some funds for our son Karmelo who was a victim of white racism. My son was bullied by two white boys and reacted …”
$600,000 is a LOT of money! Was it all used up on other stuff, not defense? Where are the famous attorneys who jump on these cases and do them pro bono??? Apparently, they believe the jury made the right decision. Which they did. Rest in peace, Austin.