Judge removed from Karmelo Anthony murder case during bid for new trial

Judge John Roach Jr. was removed from Karmelo Anthony's case Wednesday after defense attorneys cited an 18-minute post-trial interview Roach gave to a Dallas ABC affiliate, arguing it violated judicial ethics because the case remains on appeal. Anthony, 19, was convicted in June of murdering Austin Metcalf, 17, at a 2025 high school track meet and sentenced to 35 years.

Presiding Judge Sid Harle granted the recusal 'out of an abundance of caution,' noting Roach 'did not voluntarily recuse' himself, even while saying he believed Roach could have remained fair. The prosecution defended Roach's conduct, while the defense also criticized his earlier decision to end an overflow courtroom during the trial.

Roach in the interview said he 'followed the law to the T' and blamed heavy social media coverage and AI-generated fake courtroom images for making the trial difficult. A new judge will now be assigned to hear Anthony's motion for a new trial.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.