Brevard judge suspended after alleged brawl outside courtroom
Staff photo by Mary Kemper
Brevard County Judge John C. Murphy, right, speaks at a meeting of the Melbourne Regional Chamber of Commerce Veterans’ Resource Committee in Viera in February to explain the newly created Veterans Treatment Court, which the judge oversees.
By Mary Kemper
Staff writer
When Brevard County Judge John C. Murphy allegedly punched an assistant public defender, the news went international almost instantly.
Speculation continues as to what prompted the outburst. Murphy himself can’t answer that question.
“Under the Judicial Code, judges are prohibited from making statements in pending investigations,” said Michelle Kennedy, public relations officer for the Brevard County court system.
On June 2, Murphy was presiding over a case handled by Assistant Public Defender Andrew Weinstock, in which the defendant has been charged with two counts of assault and one count of resisting arrest.