Judge Removed From Texas Track Meet Stabbing Case as Defendant Seeks New Trial

A judge was ordered removed from the case of a Texas teenager convicted of fatally stabbing a 17-year-old athlete at a high school track meet, as the defendant pursues a new trial in a case that drew national attention. Visiting Judge Sid Harle from San Antonio ruled Wednesday that Collin County District Judge John Roach must be recused from the proceedings, according to AP News.

Karmelo Anthony, now 19, was convicted of murder and sentenced to 35 years in prison after a suburban Dallas jury in June rejected his claims of self-defense during a confrontation with Austin Metcalf in the stadium bleachers last year. Anthony, who was 17 at the time of the incident, stabbed Metcalf in the chest during a rainy-day dispute at a track meet at David Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco, Texas, on April 2, 2025.

Why the Judge Was Removed

Anthony’s legal team argued that Roach should be removed because he gave an interview after the trial in which he said the jury “got it right” and called Anthony “a nice young man who committed a crime.” The interview, given to WFAA just days after the June verdict, was played at Wednesday’s recusal hearing.

Harle said he personally believed Roach could be fair in a hearing for a retrial, but granted the recusal based on how it might look to a reasonable member of the public. “That’s not the test,” Harle said, according to The Dallas Morning News.

Russell Wilson, Anthony’s lead appellate attorney and a former Dallas County prosecutor, argued that Roach’s public statements compromised the appearance of impartiality. “He has publicly declared a judgment on the very things sought to be resolved,” Wilson told the court.

Collin County prosecutor Bill Wirskye pushed back, telling the court that Roach “didn’t do anything wrong.” “It’s too bitter a pill to swallow, your honor,” Wirskye said. “From where we sit, those of us who lived it, he didn’t do anything wrong.”

A Case That Divided a Community

The case attracted national attention in part because of a flood of social media posts that amplified the killing in racial terms. Anthony is Black; Metcalf was white. Lawyers on both sides, however, told jurors the tragedy had nothing to do with race, as The Guardian reported.

Dozens of Anthony supporters gathered inside and outside the Collin County courtroom for Wednesday’s hearing, with some chanting “Free Karmelo!” Many wore purple, Anthony’s favorite color. The recusal ruling was met with cheers from supporters in the courthouse hallways and outside the building.

Anthony attended the hearing wearing a green jumpsuit. His parents and Metcalf’s parents were also in the courtroom. Anthony is currently housed at the Wallace Pack Unit in Navasota, Texas, and is eligible for parole after serving half his sentence.

The ‘Gentleman’s Agreement’ Controversy

A key issue in the motion for a new trial involves an alleged “gentleman’s agreement” between prosecutors and Anthony’s defense team. According to court documents reported by the New York Post, both sides reportedly agreed to keep character evidence involving Anthony, the victim, and his brother out of the trial, focusing instead solely on what happened the day of the stabbing.

The agreement was allegedly withdrawn by prosecutors, which reportedly forced Anthony to decide not to take the stand in his own defense. Anthony’s defense team argues this impacted the outcome of the trial.

Criminal defense attorney Cody Cofer, who has closely followed the case, noted that the agreement was never formally entered into the court record, which could be significant. “Where the allegation related to the gentleman’s agreement in this case goes wrong is that the agreement was never put on the record after the discussion,” Cofer said, as NBC DFW reported.

What Happens Next

A new judge will be assigned for Thursday’s hearing on Anthony’s request for a retrial. The case is under a tight deadline: Texas law gives the court 75 days to rule on a motion for a new trial after the defendant is sentenced. For Anthony, that deadline falls on August 24. If the court doesn’t act by then, the motion is automatically denied.

The defense’s arguments for a new trial include Roach’s post-trial statements and alleged bias, the withdrawn “gentleman’s agreement,” courtroom access issues, the gag order imposed by Roach, and the lack of Black jurors on the trial jury.

The case has deeply divided the Frisco community and attracted attention from civil rights organizations. The Next Generation Action Network has supported Anthony, while the Metcalf family has maintained that justice was served. Both families have faced harassment and doxxing throughout the proceedings.

As the legal process moves forward, the recusal ruling represents a significant procedural victory for Anthony’s defense team. The question now is whether a new judge will grant the request for a new trial before the August 24 deadline.