New judge steps into Karmelo Anthony post-trial fight
Judge Sid L. Harle will handle a bid to remove trial Judge John Roach from Karmelo Anthony’s post-conviction proceedings, WFAA reported.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
2 min read
A new judge has been brought into Karmelo Anthony’s murder case as his defense team presses to push the trial judge out of the next round of proceedings.
Judge Sid L. Harle was assigned to the case Tuesday, according to court records obtained by WFAA. Harle is set to oversee Anthony’s motion seeking to recuse trial Judge John Roach from handling post-trial matters.
Anthony was convicted of murder last month and is serving a 35-year prison sentence, according to the report. The conviction stems from the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a Texas high school track meet in 2025.
Defense says trial judge cannot be fair
Anthony’s new attorney, Russell Wilson, is challenging Roach’s role after the conviction. Wilson told WFAA that comments Roach allegedly made after the verdict showed the judge could not be fair or impartial in the case going forward.
The defense is also raising concerns about trial agreements between attorneys. Wilson claimed that understandings over which testimony would be allowed were not fully honored, according to WFAA.
Wilson said those alleged issues affected Anthony’s choice not to testify in his own defense. He further claimed that decision affected the result of the trial, WFAA reported.
No response from Roach was included in the WFAA account cited by TMZ.
Prosecutor rejects defense claims
Collin County First Assistant District Attorney Bill Wirskye pushed back on the defense filing in a statement to WFAA.
Wirskye said Anthony’s lawyers submitted “inaccurate characterizations of the trial proceedings.” He also said the prosecution team “conducted this trial ethically and in full compliance with the Court’s rulings and any agreements with defense counsel.”
The dispute now puts Harle in the middle of a high-stakes post-trial fight. According to WFAA, Harle will decide whether Roach should be removed from the post-conviction proceedings.
The defense is also seeking a new trial, according to the report. Harle’s handling of the recusal motion will determine who oversees the next phase of Anthony’s case.
For now, Anthony remains imprisoned under the 35-year sentence imposed after his murder conviction, while his legal team continues to challenge how the trial and its aftermath were handled.
This story draws on original reporting from TMZ.