Karmelo Anthony is currently serving a 35-year prison sentence for the murder of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf in 2025.
Anthony’s high-powered appellate attorneys want the trial judge to recuse himself after post-verdict statements he made about the case.
“The legal defense team representing Karmelo Anthony has filed a Verified Motion to Recuse, requesting that Judge John Roach be removed from presiding over all remaining post-trial proceedings,” according to a press release on July 7.
The appellate lawyers, led by Attorney Russell Wilson, claim Collin County Judge John Roach’s public statements raise questions about his ability to remain neutral. Judge Roach, who will oversee Anthony’s appeals case, defended the verdict after the trial.
In an interview with WFAA News, Judge Roach defended his handling of the trial and not allowing cameras inside the courtroom. He said he believed Anthony received a fair trial.
“Yes, it was an easy decision,” Roach said. “I’ll tell you why, my primary goal in every case is to make sure the defendant and the prosecution get a fair trial. Period. I know I made people mad but I’m not here to make them happy either.”
When a reporter asked Roach if the jury got it right, he responded, “Yeah, they did.”
Anthony’s attorneys said the judge’s statements undermine the court’s impartiality. They want another judge assigned to the appeals case.
Anthony’s appellate lawyers also want a new trial for their client. The lawyers are working pro bono since Anthony is indigent and has no money to pay for his legal defense.
Three Black potential jurors were dismissed before the trial began. Anthony’s supporters argued that a non-Black jury could not deliver a fair verdict.
Judge Roach said he “knew in the back of [his] mind what the perception was gonna be,” but he was “not here to satisfy perceptions.”
In addition to no cameras in the courtroom, the judge allowed only 27 seats in the courtroom for the public. Anthony’s lawyers said the restricted seating violated Anthony’s Sixth Amendment right to a public trial.