Judge removed from Karmelo Anthony case as he seeks new trial
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Anthony’s attorneys argued Judge John Roach Jr.’s public comments after the murder trial raised questions about whether he could fairly consider their motion.
A judge who presided over Karmelo Anthony’s murder trial has been removed from the case as the 19-year-old continues his effort to secure a new trial, according to the Associated Press.
Senior Judge Sid Harle granted Anthony’s request Wednesday to recuse State District Judge John Roach Jr. from further proceedings, including Anthony’s motion for a new trial. Harle traveled from San Antonio to hear the matter in Collin County, Texas.
Anthony was convicted in June of murdering 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during a 2025 high school track meet in Frisco, Texas, and was sentenced to 35 years in prison. His defense argued that he acted in self-defense, but jurors rejected that claim.
The request to remove Roach centered in part on comments the judge made after the trial.
Two days after Anthony was sentenced, Roach participated in an on-camera interview with WFAA in which he discussed the verdict, the fairness of the proceedings and his own rulings, according to Anthony’s legal team. Roach also subsequently issued public statements about the case and the trial’s handling.
Anthony’s attorneys argued that those comments created the appearance that Roach could not fairly consider the defense’s request for a new trial.
In a statement released Wednesday by the Stand With Karmelo Coalition, Anthony’s legal team said Harle’s ruling addressed “whether a reasonable fully informed observer would see Judge Roach’s conduct and believe that he could fairly and impartially consider a motion for new trial.”
“We believe for the facts and reasons addressed in the motion and applicable law that the judge was correct in granting the motion to recuse,” the statement said.
The ruling does not grant Anthony a new trial or overturn his conviction. Instead, it means a different judge will handle the next stage of his legal challenge. A hearing on Anthony’s motion for a new trial is scheduled for Thursday.
Anthony’s legal team said it looks forward to presenting the motion before what it believes will be “a neutral and impartial judge” and said it will continue working to ensure he receives the protections and due process guaranteed under the Constitution and Texas law.
The case has drawn national attention and has included intense debate over race, self-defense and the fairness of the judicial process.