A judge who oversaw the murder conviction of Karmelo Anthony has been removed from presiding over his appeal, a significant legal victory for the 18-year-old convicted of killing Austin Metcalf.
Senior Judge Sid Harle granted the defense team's motion to recuse Judge John Roach, who had presided over Anthony's trial in June. The defense argued that Roach should not handle the appeal because of an interview he gave to WFAA-TV shortly after the conviction. In the interview, Roach commented that Anthony seemed like a "nice young man" but stated that the jury had made the right decision in convicting him of murder.
Anthony's legal team contended that Roach's public comments about an impending proceeding violated judicial ethics and should have led to an automatic recusal. Harle acknowledged that recusal is a high standard but stated that the test for impartiality was not met, even if he personally believed Roach could be fair.
Prosecutor Bill Wirskye strongly opposed the recusal, defending Roach's integrity and calling the defense's actions part of a "concerted effort" by "social media and influencers" to disrupt the trial. Some individuals associated with these efforts were present in the courtroom.
Anthony was found guilty of murdering 17-year-old Austin Metcalf in April 2025. The fatal altercation occurred during a spat over seating under a tent at a Frisco, Texas, track and field meet. Anthony, who is Black, stabbed Metcalf, who is white, in the chest after Metcalf told Anthony, who was reportedly an uninvited guest in the team tent, to leave.
Anthony was sentenced to 35 years in prison. The case has drawn attention due to claims from Anthony's family and their hiring of civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who have argued that race played a role in the incident. Anthony has been transferred to the Pack Unit in Navasota by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.