NBCNews: Brevard Court Judge John C. Murphy Fired For ‘Appalling Behavior’
By SEAN FEDERICO-O'MURCHU, NBCNews // December 20, 2015
altercation with a public defender back in 2014
ABOVE VIDEO: The Florida Supreme Court has fired a Brevard Court judge for “appalling behavior” after he infamously threatened and then got into a physical altercation with a public defender outside the courtroom, all of which was caught on video.
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA (NBCNEWS.com) – The Florida Supreme Court has fired a Brevard Court judge for “appalling behavior” after he infamously threatened and then got into a physical altercation with a public defender outside the courtroom, all of which was caught on video.
In a ruling Thursday, the top court overruled the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission, which recommended a 120-day suspension, a $50,000 fine, a public reprimand and continued participation in a mental health therapy program for Judge John C. Murphy.
Instead, the Supreme Court ruled that Murphy was not fit to serve as a judge after the confrontation with assistant public defender Andrew Weinstock on June 2, 2014.
“Notwithstanding his prior judicial performance, Judge Murphy’s total lack of self-control became a national spectacle — an embarrassment not only to the judge himself but also to Florida’s judicial system. Given the clear erosion of public confidence in the judiciary caused by his misconduct, removal is an appropriate sanction.”
