Judge John Roach Jr.’s conditions also included fitting Lang with a GPS ankle monitor prior to leaving the Collin County jail.
By Jamie Landers,Staff Writer
MCKINNEY — Jake Lang, a conservative influencer who allegedly threatened to kill Karmelo Anthony, was banned from Texas on Thursday by the judge who presided over Anthony’s murder trial earlier this month.
Lang had been seeking to lower the $1 million bond that, for over a week, has kept him in custody in the Collin County jail, where he faces a charge of terroristic threat to place the public in fear of serious bodily injury, interrupting public services, or influencing a government, according to court records. On X, a representative for Lang said he was arrested for saying that if the jury did not find Anthony guilty, he “would take care of it himself.”
Another post said Lang “jokingly said he would carry out capital punishment on Karmelo.”
During a 45-minute hearing Thursday at the county courthouse in McKinney, defense attorney Deric Walpole asked that Lang’s bond be reduced to either a $15,000 cash bond or a $100,000 surety bond, calling $1 million “punitive,” “oppressive” and beyond his client’s financial means.
Judge John Roach Jr. agreed only to lower Lang’s bond to $250,000.
Walpole, who briefly served as Anthony’s court-appointed public defender in the days after the stabbing, argued Lang is not a danger to the community and that his comments amounted to rhetoric rather than a genuine threat.
“I will be waiting outside this courthouse,” Lang said in the video that prompted his arrest. “Guess what? Headshot. Done.”
“You’re going to kill him?” the woman filming asked. “You’re going to kill Karmelo Anthony?”
“Yes,” Lang affirmed. “Yes, I will.”
Bond conditions
Roach’s conditions included banning Lang from the state of Texas — except for when he needs to come to court or visit his lawyer — and fitting him with a GPS ankle monitor prior to leaving the Collin County jail.
Texas code states judges have broad discretion in imposing bond conditions related to the safety of a victim or community. While they can’t issue permanent banishment, they can order a temporary geographical restriction — such as staying out of the state or a specific county — while criminal charges are pending.
“Do you understand what the rules are and how we play here?” Roach asked Lang.
“Yes, your honor,” replied Lang, who wore a bright yellow jumpsuit.
The defense attempted to call a witness who was present during the exchange, but Roach announced that the woman had been removed from the courthouse after bringing a can of pepper spray into the building.
Walpole instead made a proffer, telling the court the witness would have testified that Lang had never missed a court appearance and that people on both sides were arguing when the video was taken. A proffer is when an attorney explains to the court what the expected evidence or testimony would be in place of a witness.
He also noted that law enforcement was present and didn’t feel the need to arrest Lang at the scene.
“So, two wrongs make a right,” Roach prompted.
“I don’t think she’d say that,” Walpole replied.
In a scalding closing, Collin County Assistant District Attorney Bill Wirskye repeatedly stated the case was not about free speech, but rather an “assault on the integrity of the criminal justice system” and an effort to derail Anthony’s trial.
“Our law enforcement went to great lengths during this trial to protect the public’s First Amendment rights,” he said.
When Wirskye added that Lang targeted Anthony because he’s Black, Lang shook his head.
“What he does for a living is engage in this cosplay to get clicks so he can raise money,” Wirskye said. “That’s what he does. He spews his neo-Nazi nonsense in hopes of getting more views.”
Roach was at the helm when Anthony, 19, was sentenced on June 9 to 35 years in prison for the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf, 17, last year at a high school track meet in Frisco. The case drew national attention and ignited a firestorm of racist and divisive rhetoric. Anthony is Black. Metcalf was white.
Lang’s string of arrests
Lang was arrested twice this month in connection with the case.
Lang, who lives in Florida, was first arrested on June 2 and charged with criminal trespass outside Frisco City Hall during a “Rally Against Rednecks.”
That arrest stemmed from an incident in April 2025 when Lang hosted a sparsely attended Protect White Americans rally outside the stadium where Metcalf was stabbed. Lang later posted a video on X saying he broke into the stadium.
Lang pointed to a dark streak on the ground near the bleachers and alleged it was Metcalf’s blood. School district officials said at the time the video was filmed on the opposite side of the stadium from where the stabbing occurred.
In that case, Lang was released from jail on June 3 on a $7,500 bond.
Lang was previously awaiting trial on several charges related to the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol attack, including assaulting a law enforcement officer, when he and nearly 1,600 others received pardons last year from President Donald Trump.
Lang, who posted photos and videos of himself at the Capitol, could be seen in other posts swinging a baseball bat at officers, according to court documents.
Senior Breaking News Reporter
Jamie Landers is the senior breaking news reporter at The Dallas Morning News, where she covers crime, courts and capital punishment. She is a graduate of The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication in Phoenix, where she studied journalism and political science. Jamie previously reported for The Arizona Republic and Arizona PBS.
