Judge Bars Cameras From Karmelo Anthony Murder Trial in Texas
A state judge's decision to restrict courtroom media access raises recurring questions about the balance between First Amendment press interests and Sixth Amendment fair-trial guarantees in...
Collin County District Judge John Roach has barred cameras from the murder trial of Karmelo Anthony, a Texas teenager charged in the April 2025 stabbing death of Austin Metcalf, stating the restriction was "an easy decision" intended to protect the integrity of the proceedings, according to reporting by Fox News dated June 14, 2026. Judge Roach did not specify in public remarks which evidentiary or procedural findings led to the ruling, but cited the need to ensure a fair trial for all parties involved.
Texas Rule of Evidence and the Texas Rules of Civil and Criminal Procedure generally permit judges to exercise discretion over courtroom recording and broadcasting. Under Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 1.24, proceedings must be public, but Texas Rules of Judicial Administration Rule 18 grants trial judges authority to limit electronic media coverage when, in the judge's judgment, such coverage would interfere with the right to a fair trial. Judge Roach's ruling appears to invoke that discretionary authority; the specific written order, if issued, had not been made publicly available as of the publication of this article.
The Anthony case drew national attention following the alleged stabbing of Metcalf, 18, at a track meet in Frisco, Texas. Anthony, who was 17 at the time of the alleged offense, is being tried as an adult, according to prior reporting by The Dallas Morning News. Defense and prosecution filings in Collin County District Court, Case No. to be confirmed via the Collin County District Clerk's public docket, would contain the full record of pretrial motions, including any motions regarding media access.
Media access to criminal trials is governed by a body of First Amendment case law, most notably Press-Enterprise Co. v. Superior Court, 478 U.S. 1 (1986), in which the U.S. Supreme Court held that the press and public have a qualified First Amendment right of access to criminal proceedings. That right is not absolute and may be overridden by a trial judge upon specific findings that closure is necessary to preserve a higher value and is narrowly tailored to serve that interest. Whether Judge Roach issued such specific findings in a written order is not confirmed by available public records at time of publication.
What remains unknown is whether any media organization has filed or intends to file a formal legal challenge to the camera ban, and whether Judge Roach issued a written order detailing the specific grounds for the ruling. The Collin County District Clerk's public case docket would contain any such filed motions or orders. Additionally, a full trial schedule, jury selection records, and any pending pretrial motions would be accessible through the same docket.