Texas Judge Recused From Murder Case Ahead of Retrial Hearing

A Texas judge removed the trial judge from Karmelo Anthony's murder case on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, in a significant development ahead of a hearing on the teenager's request for a new trial. Senior Judge Sid Harle granted the defense's motion to recuse State District Judge John Roach from all post-trial proceedings in the case. Roach had presided over Anthony's June 2025 murder trial, where Anthony was convicted of stabbing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf to death during a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas, in April 2025.

The recusal decision means a new judge will oversee the hearing scheduled for Thursday, August 20, to consider Anthony's motion for a retrial. Anthony, now 19, is currently serving a 35-year prison sentence. The case has drawn intense public and national attention since Metcalf's death.

Anthony's defense team had argued that Roach could not be impartial in handling post-trial motions. In their filings, they cited public comments Roach made after the verdict, in which he told reporters the jury "got it right" and defended several of his trial rulings. The defense also pointed to strict courtroom restrictions imposed by Roach during the trial, including a...