A Collin County murder case took a significant legal turn Wednesday when a visiting San Antonio judge ordered the removal of the presiding judge from post-trial proceedings involving convicted killer Karmelo Anthony.
Retired Judge Sid Harle ruled that veteran Collin County Judge John Roach must step aside from Anthony’s case following a recusal hearing. Retired District Judge Michael Chitty was immediately appointed to take over the matter.
The push to remove Roach came from Anthony’s new defense team led by attorney Russell Wilson. The defense pointed to two key concerns: Roach’s decisions to restrict public access during the June jury trial and a media interview in which Roach stated the jury reached the correct verdict and described Anthony as “a nice young man who committed a crime.”
Criminal defense attorney Cody Cofer who has closely tracked the case said those comments raised serious questions about whether Roach could remain impartial heading into Thursday’s new trial hearing.
Cofer said it was troubling to see a sitting judge speak publicly about an active case and added that strong judges are willing to reflect on whether their decisions during trial were the right ones.
Judge Chitty is now set to preside over Thursday’s motion for a new trial hearing beginning at 9 a.m. at the Collin County courthouse.
At the center of Thursday’s hearing is what Wilson’s team is calling a broken “gentleman’s agreement.” According to the defense both prosecutors and Anthony’s original legal team reached an informal understanding to exclude character evidence about Anthony and the victim from the trial keeping the focus solely on the events of the day of the stabbing at a track meet.
Wilson argues that prosecutors later withdrew from that agreement which forced Anthony to abandon plans to testify in his own defense. The defense contends that dispute directly affected the trial’s outcome.
Cofer noted that the agreement was never formally placed on the court record which could complicate the defense’s ability to use it as grounds for a new trial.
The case has also reignited a broader debate about courtroom transparency. Cofer criticized the decision to block cameras from Anthony’s trial and argued that in the modern era a public trial should mean a televised one.
Community activists have urged supporters to attend Thursday’s proceedings peacefully. Dominique Alexander called on those following the case to show up without incident.
Anthony was convicted in June for the stabbing death of a fellow student at a North Texas track meet. The case drew widespread national attention and continues to spark intense debate across the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
