Judge Who Presided Over Karmelo Anthony’s Conviction Removed as Defendant Seeks New Trial

A courtroom sketch shows Karmelo Anthony (C), who fatally stabbed another student last year, at the defense table during the trial in McKinney, Texas, on June 4, 2026. Pat Lopez via AP

A Texas court ruled on Aug. 19 that Judge John Roach must recuse himself from further proceedings in the Karmelo Anthony case.

Bolstered by a new defense team, he is asking the state to grant him a new trial.

Visiting Judge Sid Harle ordered a new judge be appointed to preside over a hearing on Aug. 29 to determine whether Anthony’s case will be reheard.

Anthony’s attorneys argued that Roach’s strict enforcement of courtroom rules, such as barring live media coverage of the trial, along with statements he made following the verdict, show that he is biased against the defendant.

“Today’s ruling answers a fundamental question: 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,” Anthony’s legal team said in an emailed statement to The Epoch Times.

“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.”

His former attorneys, along with activist groups, argued that Anthony did not receive a fair trial, because prosecutors struck all African Americans during jury selection.

“The absence of black jurors in this high-profile, racially divisive case involving a black defendant” and the brevity of the trial were concerning, the Collin County NAACP posted on its Facebook page following the verdict.

During the trial, Roach dismissed a challenge to the makeup of the jury, ruling that the prosecution used race-neutral means to strike those jurors.

Prosecutors also told the court that they struck three potential black jurors from the pool because they were all educators, and the case involved young students.

On April 2, 2025, students from Memorial High School’s track and field team in Frisco, Texas, returned to the bleachers and found Anthony sitting under a tent designated for their team.

One student, 17-year-old Metcalf, asked Anthony to return to the area designated for the Centennial High School team. He refused, and the pair began to argue while other students gathered around.

Multiple witnesses at the trial testified that Anthony, not Metcalf, was the aggressor.

According to local media reports, one witness quoted Metcalf as saying, “Dude, I’m not gonna fight you at a track meet.”

“Touch me and see what happens,” Anthony told Metcalf, while reaching inside his bag, according to trial witnesses.

After Metcalf shoved him, Anthony stabbed him in the chest with a knife and fled. He was arrested shortly after.

Jurors had the option of convicting Anthony on the lesser charge of manslaughter, but instead found him guilty of first-degree murder after three hours of deliberation.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.