Judge John – After a Texas jury convicted Karmelo Anthony of murder in the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf, the judge who presided over the trial defended his controversial decision to ban cameras from the courtroom—saying his priority was a fair trial, even as public ang
By the time the verdict landed, the courtroom arguments had already spilled far beyond Collin County.
Karmelo Anthony. 19. was found guilty on June 9 of killing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during a 2025 high school track meet in Frisco. Texas. But long before jurors took their seat. another fight was taking shape—one over whether the trial should be seen at all. Judge John Roach. who oversaw the murder proceedings in the 296th District Court. told WFAA-TV he banned cameras because he believed it was necessary to protect the fairness of the process.
Roach said he felt “no hesitation” when he was assigned to the case and described the decision as part of his duty. “I’ll take it every time. It’s my job, it’s my duty,” he said. “It’s what I was elected to do.”
In an interview with WFAA-TV, Roach also acknowledged the emotional weight of what was happening inside the courtroom. The case has drawn controversy, racial tensions, and public demonstrations since it began. Supporters of both teens’ families gathered outside the courthouse at the start of the month. alongside activists and online personalities. as the nation watched a dispute that many people feared could become more about spectacle than evidence.
One of the central points of contention during the eight months of preparation before the trial was Roach’s decision to keep cameras out of the courtroom. The ban drew criticism from the public and members of the news media. who argued it restricted what could be observed to those physically present—while also giving online speculation room to spread.
Roach said the choice was straightforward. “It was an easy decision,” he told WFAA. “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 he was trying to balance two competing ideas: what he called the “extraordinarily important” right to know and the need to limit outside influence on the proceedings and the jury. “As long as I follow the law, I sleep well at night,” he added.
Asked about the verdict itself—criticized by those who defend Anthony’s actions as self-defense—Roach said the jury reached the right result based on the facts presented in his courtroom. “They were picked based upon the law. they listened to the facts. it happened in this courtroom. and they got a verdict. ” he said.
The sentencing showed how wide the stakes were from the start. Jurors could have sentenced Anthony to as little as two years in prison or up to the rest of his life. They chose 35 years. Anthony is appealing the verdict.
His attorney, Mike Howard, told CBS News Texas that “several important issues” are for appellate courts to consider, calling an appeal “the next part of the legal process and a right afforded every American.”
Anthony attended Centennial High School and has since graduated. The conviction centers on what prosecutors said was an unjustified stabbing during an April 2. 2025 track meet at Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco. Texas. Metcalf, a student at Memorial High School, was fatally stabbed while the match was underway.
Prosecutors argued the attack stemmed from a disagreement over Anthony’s presence under a Memorial High School team tent during the rainy meet. Defense attorneys countered that Anthony believed he was threatened and acted to protect himself after physical contact occurred. Anthony has always maintained he stabbed Austin in self-defense.
Roach said he had a front-row seat to the case not just procedurally, but personally, as he watched Anthony and his demeanor. “He seems like a nice young man who committed a crime and he understands today more than any day before the consequences of committing a crime like he did,” Roach said.
The tension around the camera ban never stayed in the abstract. Roach described it in practical terms: the fairness of a trial depends on what happens inside the room. not what people outside imagine. His remarks also made clear he believes the verdict and sentencing process were grounded in the evidence jurors heard.
After this case, Roach is not finished with homicide trials. He said he expects to preside over one or two more before retiring in about six months. and he told WFAA he would treat those cases with “just as much importance” as Anthony’s. He contrasted the scale of future courtroom attendance with what he experienced in this case: “The parking lot won’t be full. The gallery won’t be full,” he said. “But, we still have someone who’s died and someone who’s accused of doing the killing.”.
Karmelo Anthony Austin Metcalf John Roach 296th District Court Collin County camera ban Texas murder trial sentencing appeal Frisco Kuykendall Stadium self-defense