Judge Ordered Off Karmelo Anthony Murder Case As Defense Pushes For New Trial

Judge John Roach has been ordered to recuse himself from further proceedings in the Karmelo Anthony murder case, as the defendant seeks a new trial.

On August 19, 2026, Visiting Judge Sid Harle ruled that Roach must step aside. Retired District Judge Michael Chitty has been appointed to handle a hearing scheduled for August 20 on whether Anthony should receive a retrial.

Anthony, now 19, was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to 35 years in prison after fatally stabbing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during an altercation at a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas, in April 2025. A Collin County jury returned the verdict in June 2026 following a trial in McKinney. Jurors deliberated for about three hours and rejected the option of a lesser manslaughter conviction.

Anthony's new defense team is pursuing the new-trial motion. His attorneys argued that Roach's strict courtroom rules - including restrictions on live media coverage - and public statements he made after the verdict demonstrated bias that would prevent him from fairly considering the request.

In a statement, the legal team said the 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," adding that they believed the judge correctly granted the recusal motion.

"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," the legal team told the Epoch Times. 

Critics of the original trial, including Anthony's former attorneys and groups such as the Collin County NAACP, had raised concerns about the absence of Black jurors in what they described as a racially charged case involving a Black defendant. Prosecutors struck several potential Black jurors, stating the decisions were race-neutral because the individuals were educators in a case involving young students. Roach rejected a challenge to the jury's composition during the trial.

The incident occurred on April 2, 2025. Students from Memorial High School's track team returned to their designated tent area and found Anthony, a Centennial High School student, sitting there. Metcalf asked him to leave. An argument ensued. Multiple witnesses testified that Anthony was the aggressor. One quoted Metcalf saying he would not fight at a track meet. Witnesses said Anthony responded, "Touch me and see what happens," while reaching into his bag. After Metcalf shoved him, Anthony stabbed Metcalf in the chest with a knife and fled. He was arrested shortly afterward.

The case drew significant public attention amid competing narratives about the confrontation and broader issues of race and self-defense. Both sides maintained at trial that race was not a factor in the events under the tent.

Judge Chitty will now oversee the upcoming hearing on the motion for a new trial.