Judge John Murphy
Courtesy of FloridaToday.com

Bradleigh-Ann Walker

Senior Content Editor
@urbanbeautyxo

A Brevard County, Florida courtroom got pretty heated on Monday (June 2nd), but not because of the summer weather.

Judge John Murphy and public defender Andrew Weinstock got into a verbal altercation, and the judge is accused of hitting Weinstock in the head.

It all began when Murphy asked Weinstock to waive his client’s right to a speedy trial. Weinstock refused to comply. The ensuing argument went as follows:

Murphy:

“If I had a rock, I would throw it at you right now. Stop pissing me off. Just sit down. I’ll take care of it. I don’t need your help. Sit down.”

Weinstock:

“I’m the public defender, I have the right to be here and I have a right to stand and represent my clients.”

Murphy:

“Sit down. If you want to fight, let’s go out back and I’ll just beat your (expletive).”

Weinstock:

“Let’s go right now.”

Murphy, unlike Weinstock, followed instructions.

The men went into a hallway, where Murphy apparently grabbed Weinstock by his shirt collar and hit him. Audio recorded them yelling at one another, although cameras didn’t capture the alleged physical altercation. A sheriff’s deputy intervened to stop them.

A fellow public defender claims that Weinstock looked as if he had a head injury.

Both men declined to press charges and no one was arrested. Neither of them would make statements to deputies at the time either, according to public defender Blaise Trettis.

Trettis said that Murphy has never done anything alone these lines before, and it was “out of character”.

Chief Judge John M. Harris announced yesterday (June 3) that Murphy took a leave of absence and plans to “seek anger management counseling and treatment”.

“This isolated event in no way reflects the typical manner that courtrooms in Brevard and Seminole counties are managed by the hardworking and conscientious judges in this circuit,” Harris added.

Although no decision has been made, CBS affiliate WKMG’s legal analyst Luis Calderon noted that the judge and lawyer may be fired and disbarred, but those are worst case scenarios.

The Brevard County Sheriff’s Department said the incident is still under investigation. The public defender’s office will be reporting the confrontation to the state bar.

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