Behind the gavel: A look into the veteran judge overseeing the Karmelo Anthony trial

A brown Boykin Spaniel named Justice usually sits at District Judge John Roach Jr.’s feet every day at the Collin County courthouse. The medical service dog, who monitors the judge’s blood pressure, has witnessed trials that have ended in years-long prison stays and cases involving child protective services, where the pup often comforts the children. 

But these days, the dog is staying home as Roach presides over one of the biggest trials of his career: the nationally watched Karmelo Anthony trial.

The judge, who has been on the bench since 2007, is overseeing the trial — rife with racial tension and attracting protesters outside the courthouse daily — as he prepares to retire at the end of the year. 

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, Metcalf was white. The trial began June 1 and is scheduled to last for two weeks.

At the center of it all is Roach, a 20-year judge who has a reputation for being “straightforward” and who “doesn’t play games,” according to attorneys who have appeared before him in previous trials.

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.

“He’s very clear cut when it comes to his ruling, and his rulings are pretty fast,” said Maria Tu, a criminal defense lawyer who has practiced in front of Roach. “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.”

As the 296th District Court Judge, Roach oversees many cases involving felony criminal cases, family law, civil law and child protective services. His term will end Dec. 31. 

The Anthony trial is not the only high-profile case Roach has overseen. One of the most notable was the trial of Brandon McCall, who was sentenced to death in 2020 after a jury convicted him of killing  Richardson police officer David Sherrard.

“I think it did send a message today,” Roach told the jury after their verdict. “You sent a message that if you kill a cop in Texas, we’ll give you a fair trial, but you’re gonna die.”

Those closest to Roach have described his two decades on the judicial bench as a career of service — noting he holds the belief that those who enter his courtroom are more than a criminal charge. 

“These are humans, these aren’t just numbers or criminals,” Laura Roach, his wife of 27 years, said. “That doesn’t make him soft in any way; it just makes him do this job for the right reasons.”

Roach’s path to the bench began at St. Mary’s School of Law in San Antonio, where he met Laura at a mock trial competition. After the couple graduated and got engaged, they moved back to Roach’s hometown of Plano, where they would both practice law. 

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 University of North Texas from 2016 to 2017. 

The faith-driven couple was reading the spiritual guidebook The Purpose Driven Life when something shifted for John, family law attorney Neda Garrett said in a retirement speech.

“He realized with a clarity he hadn’t felt before, that he was meant to be a judge,” Garrett said in the speech she gave for Roach last month. 

Roach spends his free time with his three sons, playing tennis or shooting guns, Laura Roach said. A decade ago he competed in an Iron Man triathlon, and in 2023 the couple climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, she said. 

In 2016, the couple wrote the book Divorce in Peace, meant to support families going through the emotional and financial burdens of divorce. 

In 2018, Roach received a sanction after he and his wife promoted the book, with a Special Court of Review finding Roach violated the Code of Judicial Conduct through activities “that went significantly beyond efforts to promote individual book sales.” 

John Roach received the lowest available sanction from the court and was admonished. “No good deed goes unpunished,” he said when reached by phone in July 2018 about the panel’s ruling.

Across the ceiling of Roach’s courtroom, there are several painted tiles, unusual for a courthouse. They pay homage to his time serving in the Marine Corps. 

One is of Uncle Sam, one has an illustration of Popeye with “Navy” printed on the side and another is a depiction of the Iwo Jima memorial.

Outside of his work as district judge, he started North Texas Veterans Court in 2013, the largest veterans court in the country. It aims to move veterans out of the traditional justice system into rehabilitative alternatives to improve their mental health. 

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

But for now, he’s focused on the Anthony trial. This week, he’ll continue  hearing witness testimony.

And once the trial is over, Justice will return to his spot at Roach’s feet.