Judge John Roach Jr. brings Marine discipline to Karmelo Anthony trial

As the nationally watched Karmelo Anthony trial draws scrutiny and protesters outside the Collin County courthouse, District Judge John Roach Jr.—on the bench since 2007 and preparing to retire Dec. 31—has leaned on a reputation for fast, clear rulings, a Mari

Every morning at the Collin County courthouse, a brown Boykin Spaniel named Justice usually waits at District Judge John Roach Jr.’s feet. The dog has a job: monitoring the judge’s blood pressure—an unusual companion for an unusually heavy calendar.

But in recent weeks, Justice has stayed home as Roach presides over one of the biggest trials of his career: the nationally watched case of Karmelo Anthony.

Roach has been on the bench since 2007 and is overseeing the trial from the 296th District Court. The case has been drawing racial tension and protesters outside the courthouse daily. a kind of pressure that sits alongside the courtroom’s quieter. procedural work. Roach is also preparing to retire at the end of the year; his term runs through Dec. 31.

Anthony, 19, is accused of fatally stabbing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a Frisco high school track meet in April 2025. Anthony is Black and Metcalf was white. The trial began June 1 and is scheduled to last two weeks.

At the center of it all is Roach—described by attorneys who have appeared before him in earlier cases as “straightforward” and someone who “doesn’t play games.”

In this trial, his approach appears to carry both discipline and control. Roach did not respond to interview requests from The Dallas Morning News, a stance consistent with the gag order he has imposed around the case.

Maria Tu, a criminal defense lawyer who has practiced in front of Roach, said he is focused on the evidence. “He’s very clear cut when it comes to his ruling, and his rulings are pretty fast,” Tu said. “I think he’s going to be really very focused on the evidence and making sure that not only [are] the defendant’s constitutional rights protected. but that justice is being served through his trial.”.

For Roach, the Anthony trial is also part of a larger record—one that includes both high-profile and deeply personal disputes.

As the judge on felony criminal cases. family law. civil law and child protective services. Roach oversees matters that often carry consequences lasting years. Those who know him describe a courtroom mindset that treats the people who appear before him as more than a case number. Laura Roach. his wife of 27 years. said. “These are humans. these aren’t just numbers or criminals.” She added that the approach does not soften the law. “That doesn’t make him soft in any way; it just makes him do this job for the right reasons.”.

Roach’s judicial journey began long before the attention of national viewers. His path to the bench started at St. Mary’s School of Law in San Antonio, where he met Laura at a mock trial competition. After graduating and getting engaged, the couple moved to his hometown of Plano, where both practiced law.

Before taking on the bench, Roach served on the Plano City Council for two terms beginning in 1999. He also taught law at Southern Methodist University from 2003 to 2004 and at University of North Texas from 2016 to 2017.

Family and faith have been woven through his story, too. John Roach’s wife and his wider circle describe a moment of clarity captured in a retirement speech given by family law attorney Neda Garrett last month. Garrett said Roach realized “with a clarity he hadn’t felt before. that he was meant to be a judge.” Garrett said that shift happened while the couple was reading the spiritual guidebook The Purpose Driven Life.

Roach has kept his private life active even as his public responsibilities grew. Laura Roach said he spends free time with his three sons, playing tennis or shooting guns. She also said that a decade ago he competed in an Iron Man triathlon and, in 2023, the couple climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.

Alongside that personal rhythm, Roach has worked on ideas meant for families beyond the courthouse. In 2016, the couple wrote the book Divorce in Peace, meant to support families going through the emotional and financial burdens of divorce.

That commitment did not come without consequence. In 2018, Roach received a sanction after he and his wife promoted the book. A Special Court of Review found that Roach violated the Code of Judicial Conduct through activities that “went significantly beyond efforts to promote individual book sales.” Roach received the lowest available sanction and was admonished.

When reached by phone in July 2018 about the panel’s ruling, Roach said, “No good deed goes unpunished.”

Inside the courtroom, the reminders of Roach’s earlier life show up in the details. Across the ceiling of Roach’s courtroom are painted tiles—unusual for a courthouse—that pay homage to his time serving in the Marine Corps. One tile features Uncle Sam. another depicts Popeye with “Navy” printed on the side. and another depicts the Iwo Jima memorial.

Roach’s reputation doesn’t end with how he handles cases. Outside of his work as district judge. he started North Texas Veterans Court in 2013. described as the largest veterans court in the country. The program aims to move veterans out of the traditional justice system into rehabilitative alternatives designed to improve mental health.

He also created the VALOR program in 2018, a statewide six-month rehabilitation jail program for veterans. Laura Roach said Roach completes his cases in four days so he can dedicate Fridays to his work with veterans.

For all of that broader work, the Anthony trial is where Roach’s focus is concentrated right now. During the case, his decisions and pace are being tested under the glare of national attention and the tension that has brought protesters to the courthouse daily.

One high-profile moment in his career—showing how he communicates with juries and the scale of stakes he has faced—came in the trial of Brandon McCall. McCall was sentenced to death in 2020 after a jury convicted him of killing Richardson police officer David Sherrard. After the verdict. Roach told the jury: “I think it did send a message today.” He continued. “You sent a message that if you kill a cop in Texas. we’ll give you a fair trial. but you’re gonna die.”.

Back in the present, the Anthony trial moves forward in courtroom steps. After prosecutors rested their case, the defense was set to resume witness testimony—an orderly next phase in a trial that began June 1 and is scheduled to last two weeks.

Once the trial is over, Justice is expected to return to his spot at Roach’s feet. In the meantime, for a judge preparing to retire Dec. 31, the work continues in the place he has built since 2007—where the pressure outside the courthouse meets the discipline inside it.

Karmelo Anthony trial John Roach Jr. Collin County courthouse Austin Metcalf Frisco high school track meet Justice service dog Marine Corps North Texas Veterans Court VALOR program racial tension