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Judge removed after conviction
Karmelo Anthony, 19, was convicted of murdering 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a high school track meet and sentenced to 35 years in prison in June, but a Texas judge was removed from further proceedings as Anthony sought a new trial.
“ordered state District Judge John Roach’s recusal”
The removal came Wednesday in McKinney, Texas, after visiting judge Sid Harle ordered state District Judge John Roach’s recusal and assigned Judge Michael Chitty to the case.
Harle’s written order said the evidence was such that Roach’s "impartiality might reasonably be questioned" and ordered another judge to "preside over all further proceedings."
Outside the courtroom, cheers erupted in the hallway and some Anthony supporters chanted "Free Karmelo!" in the parking lot as the next hearing was set for Thursday to decide whether a retrial is warranted.
Arguments over fairness
Anthony’s attorneys argued that Roach did not fairly preside over the high-profile case, pointing to strict courtroom rules and to a post-trial interview in which Roach said jurors "got it right" when they delivered a guilty verdict.
In that interview, Roach told a Dallas TV station, "Yeah, they did," adding: "Whatever they say, they got it right," as the hearing began.
Prosecutor Bill Wirskye urged the court to keep Roach, saying the judge "didn’t do anything wrong" and that courtroom rules were meant to protect the integrity of the trial.
Anthony’s legal team also tied the recusal request to Roach’s handling of public access during the nearly weeklong trial, while the case drew national attention because social media posts amplified the killing in racial terms, with Anthony identified as Black and Metcalf as white.
Next steps and what’s at risk
On Thursday, Anthony was expected back in court for a hearing to determine whether a retrial is warranted after the jury in June rejected his self-defense claims during a confrontation in the stadium bleachers.
“A hearing on Anthony's motion for a new trial is scheduled for Thursday.”
The stabbing happened at a Frisco Independent School District stadium in Frisco, and police said Metcalf was stabbed during an altercation under his school's tent in the stadium bleachers.
Anthony’s attorneys said they were seeking a new trial because Roach’s courtroom restrictions limited public access to the proceedings, while prosecutors said the rules protected the integrity of the trial.
After the recusal order, Anthony’s case moved forward with the possibility of a new trial still unresolved, and the Associated Press reported that Anthony’s supporters cheered while the families of both Metcalf and Anthony said they had been targets of harassment, with Wirskye saying, "We were all getting death threats."