Justice for Austin Metcalf

REPORT: Karmelo Anthony Trial Day Four Apparently, if you violate a judge’s order and cut in front of others who were in line 30 minutes before you, you will be REWARDED with access to a courtroom that only allows 27 members of the public. According to Judge Roach’s order, there is a curfew from 11pm to 6am every day for the duration of the trial. The order applies to the ENTIRE Collin County Courthouse campus, including parking lots, sidewalks, green spaces, and any other designated areas. I have followed this order every day, arriving right at 6am as required by the curfew. This morning, the first day of opening statements, I arrived at 6am as usual. There were already 20–25 people lined up at the front door. I immediately got in line. Many of them were not secretive about what time they had arrived, and some said they had been there closer to 5am, which is a VIOLATION of the judge’s order. As I stood there, multiple people arrived and cut directly in front of me. And yes, I will make it clear that they were Karmelo Anthony supporters. I wish I had said something. But I have done my best to maintain the peace so far, even with the disparaging comments that have been made and the constant line-cutting over the past few days. I am fully fed up today. The first 27 were selected, and the cut off was 2 people in front of me. If there had not been violations or line cutters, I would be in the courtroom right now. I understand that Judge Roach runs a tight ship, but he cannot control what he does not know is happening. The family was brought in. Then the media. Then about a dozen individuals who claimed to be “family members of the Anthony’s,” including Kevin Hayes, Karmelo Anthony’s uncle, who initially spread false rumors that Karmelo had been jumped and that his cell phone had been smashed. THEN, 27 members of the public were given passes for the remainder of the day. Several of those individuals deserve to be in the courtroom. But the scales were tipped in favor of Anthony supporters because they cut in line and felt “entitled” to those positions. I’m not going to hold back about their behavior any longer.