A Florida judge 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, said the judge grabbed Weinstock's collar in the hallway off the courtroom after the judge asked the attorney to step outside.

Deputies broke up the fight.

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.

According to a video of the hearing WFTV had on its website, Weinstock and the judge got into a heated argument about the speedy trial issue.

"You know, if I had a rock I would throw it at you right now," Murphy tells Weinstock. "Stop p------ me off. Just sit down.

"If you want to fight, let's go out back and I'll just beat your ass," Murphy tells Weinstock before the two head out of the courtroom.

While Murphy and Weinstock could not be seen, the courtroom camera captured audio of an apparent scuffle and several loud thuds, WFTV reported.