Florida Judge John C. Murphy has been thrown off the bench for his ludicrous fighting behavior, according to the Examiner. Murphy was recused of his position when his actions posed an example of "grievous misconduct," said a statement released Friday by the Florida Supreme Court, who also said the judge "made a national spectacle" out of the Florida judicial system and was an "embarrassment" to the other Florida judges.
Murphy taunted Andrew Weinstock, a public defender, prior to the fight during in open crowded court room. "You know if I had a rock, I would throw it at you," he said before telling Weinstock to "stop pissing me off. Just sit down."
"You know I'm the public defender. I have a right to be here and I have a right to stand and represent my client," he said, as Murphy continued to order him to "sit down."
The incident escalated when Murphy continued a verbal barrage against the public defender, requesting to wave his clients rights for a speedy trial. When Weinstock refused, the judge challenged Weinstock to go out back and settle this.
"If you wanna fight, let's go out back and I'll just beat your ass," Judge Murphy told Weinstock, according to the Raw Story. As Weinstock walked to the hallway, he was shocked when the judge jumped him as he entered the hallway.
While the fight happened out of sight of the court room cameras, the rumble was loud enough to be heard on the court room's audio recording system.
"Do you wanna f--k with me? Do you?" Judge Murphy can be heard yelling. It took two court officers to pull Murphy off of Weinstock.
Despite his apologies, Murphy has been relieved of his duties.
"Judge Murphy's caseload has already been divided among several judges, with the exception of Veteran's Court. I would like to wish Judge Murphy success in his future endeavors. As a county court judge he worked tirelessly and served our courts with distinction before and after that unfortunate day," Chief Judge of Brevard County, John D. Galluzzo said, according to Florida Today. "We will remember him for the countless positive contributions he made during his years on the bench and he will be missed."
