As the Karmelo Anthony murder trial heads into its third day of testimony Saturday, the attorney who successfully fought to keep cameras in the courtroom during O.J. Simpson's murder trial says he sees troubling parallels between the public reaction to both cases, particularly when it comes to race.
Royal Oakes, a California-based media attorney who represented news organizations seeking courtroom access during the Simpson trial, told Fox News Digital that the same cultural and racial tensions that surrounded O.J.'s case in the 1990s appear to be resurfacing as Anthony's case unfolds in Texas.
"We're likely to see the exact same dynamic developing in this case that we saw in the O.J. Simpson murder trial," Oakes said. "A huge cultural and racial divide."
Anthony is accused of fatally stabbing fellow student Austin Metcalf during a confrontation at a Texas track meet. He has pleaded not guilty, and his defense team is expected to argue he acted in self-defense.
The case has sparked intense debate online and drawn supporters to the courthouse, with discussions often extending far beyond the facts of the case itself.
When asked whether the Anthony case is evolving into a broader conversation about race in America, Oakes said, "This case absolutely is going to hit so many hot buttons. The issue of race in America, the critical question of self-defense."