Florida judge accused of punching attorney in courthouse

VIERA, Florida (AP) — A judge on Florida is accused of punching an assistant public defender during an altercation in a hallway outside a courtroom.

WFTV in Orlando reports that Judge John Murphy hit assistant public defender Andrew Weinstock after the two exchanged words over whether his client could have a speedy trial in the Brevard County courtroom.

Weinstock’s supervisor, Public Defender Blaise Trettis, tells WFTV the judge grabbed Weinstock’s collar in the hallway off the courtroom after the judge asked the attorney to come into the hallway.

Deputies broke up the scuffle and Murphy wasn’t arrested.

No one answered the phone in Murphy’s judicial chamber, and a spokeswoman for the court administration didn’t respond to an email. Weinstock also didn’t respond to an email inquiry.