The Texas judge who presided over Karmelo Anthony’s murder trial has now revealed why he decided to ban cameras inside the courtroom, a decision that had garnered backlash before the trial. Judge John Roach of the 296th District Court in Collin County told WFAA-TV that it was an “easy decision” to keep cameras out of the courtroom.
“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,” he said.
Roach further said that he attempted to balance the “extraordinarily important” right to know with limiting the amount of influence over the proceedings and the jury, and that he “sleeps well at night” in knowing he follows the law.
Judge John Roach’s comment about Karmelo Anthony
Roach made a surprising comment about Anthony, who was sentenced to 35 years in prison for the 2025 murder of Austin Metcalf.
Roach described Anthony as “a nice young man” during an interview with WFAA-TV. He said that Anthony seemed “like a nice young man” who now has a better grasp of “the consequences of committing a crime like he did.”
Roach went on to say that he did not hesitate when he was assigned to Anthony’s murder trial, describing the assignment as his “duty,” adding that “It’s what I was elected to do.”
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Anthony was accused of stabbing Metcalf to death during a rain delay at a high school track meet. Before the stabbing, which took place at Memorial High School in Frisco, Metcalf had reportedly asked Anthony, who is black, to leave the event since he did not attend that school. Metcalf was white.
Anthony has now been transferred to a Texas prison to begin his sentence. He was transferred to the Wallace Pack Unit, near Houston, Texas, on Wednesday morning, June 10, after spending the previous night in county jail.
He filed a notice of appeal following his conviction, according to court records.