“He seemed like such a nice young man…” Those were the judge’s exact words about a convicted murderer. Karmelo Anthony didn’t look like a killer. But Austin Metcalf is dead because of him. One choice. Lifetimes of pain. The full courtroom moment is unbelievable. Tap to see what the judge really said 👇
The no-nonsense Texas judge who presided over Karmelo Anthony’s murder trial said he believed the jury made the right decision — as he also weighed in on the teen’s character.
Judge John Roach defended the jury’s verdict at the end of the high-profile trial last week that saw Anthony sentenced to 35 years in prison for the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf, 17.
Karmelo Anthony was found guilty of murdering Austin Metcalf.Facebook/Drew Anthony
Judge John Roach defended the jury’s verdict at the end of the high-profile trial last week.WFAA
“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 told WFAA when asked whether jurors did the right thing.
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Roach added that while he believed Anthony came off as a nice person in their brief interactions, the teen would have to live with the consequences of his actions.
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“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 in the post-trial interview.
The murder case made headlines due to the heightened tensions escalated over race, with Anthony’s lawyers trying to paint Metcalf, who was white, as a bully who targeted Anthony, who is black.
The jury, however, did not agree with Anthony’s claim of self-defense, nor did they accept a proposed “sudden passion” argument that would’ve downgraded his verdict from first-degree to second-degree murder and shrunk his steep punishment to a maximum of 20 years.
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Despite the viral nature and constant commentary of the case, Roach said he was satisfied with the proceedings and would ignore criticisms levied against the trial.
“As long as I follow the law, I sleep well at night,” he said. “I know I made people mad but I’m not here to make them happy either.”
