Brevard's 'Fighting Judge' removed by Florida Supreme Court

Citing the national embarrassment caused to the state's legal system in the wake of a viral video showing a courtroom confrontation, the Florida Supreme Court has ordered Brevard County Judge John C. Murphy removed from office.

The order was filed today against Murphy and cites violations of the code of judicial conduct and rules of professional conduct as the reason. The Chief Judge of Brevard County, Judge John D. Galluzzo, issued a statement this afternoon in response to the removal.

"I want to assure the citizens of Brevard County that the vacancy caused by Judge Murphy's removal from office will not result in any significant disruption of court services," Galluzzo wrote in a statement sent to FLORIDA TODAY.

"Judge Murphy's caseload has already been divided among several judges, with the exception of Veterans 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. We will remember him for the countless positive contributions he made during his years on the bench and he will be missed," he said.

The high court had been reviewing the recommendations issued by the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission in connection with the June 2, 2014 incident that took place in Murphy's courtroom at the Moore Justice Center. The court found that Murphy threatened to "commit violence," against an assistant public defender, engaging in a physical scuffle with the lawyer in an adjacent hallway before resuming the public defender's docket cases without him being present, records show.

The state commission initially recommended that the high court issue a public reprimand, a 120-day suspension, a fine of $50,000 and order Murphy, a combat veteran, to continue mental health therapy.

"This is the sort of egregious conduct that erodes the public's confidence," the court wrote, adding that Murphy's misconduct "became a national spectacle and an embarrassment to Florida's judicial system."

The high court's order follows a six-member Florida Judicial Qualifications Committee panel's lengthy investigation into the incident in which Murphy argued loudly with a public defender in front of the courtroom, telling him, "let's go out back and I'll beat your ass."

The accompanying video of the incident was seen by hundreds of thousands of viewers. Murphy, who was first elected to the bench, was a 29-year veteran of the U.S. Army and served in Afghanistan. He also founded Brevard County's first Veterans Court in 2011.

Murphy could not be reached for comment.

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