The judge who oversaw the high-profile murder trial of Karmelo Anthony is speaking out for the first time since the case wrapped up earlier this week.
As you probably know, Karmelo Anthony was convicted for the murder of Austin Metcalf and sentenced to 35 years in prison.
Judge John Roach Jr. sat for an interview with local news outlet WFAA, where he was asked questions about his own personal opinions on the case.
He says that he agreed with the jury’s verdict and that he believes they made the right decision.
However, his description of the killer was much more sympathetic than, let’s say, the Metcalf family’s.
WFAA shared his response to these questions:
When asked whether the jury reached the correct verdict, Roach offered a direct response.
“Yes they did because they were picked based upon the law, they listened to the facts, it happened in this courtroom, and they got a verdict,” he said. WFAA ended its interview asking about the judge’s brief interactions with the now-convicted Karmelo Anthony.
“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.
Roach said he believes Collin County’s handling of the trial should serve as a model for other jurisdictions dealing with high-profile cases.
His term on the bench ends in six months, making this likely his final major murder trial. Still, he expects to oversee one or two more homicide cases before leaving office.
During the interview, the judge also defended his decision to ban media from the courtroom, noting that his top priority was to ensure the trial was fair.
Watch the full interview for yourself here:
What do you think?
Do you agree with the judge’s assessment of the case and Karmelo Anthony’s character?
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