“You know, if I had a rock I would throw it at you right now.” Those are the words of Judge Murphy to the defence attorney. “Stop pissing me off. Just sit down,” he added. Murphy was allegedly upset that Weinstock would not get his client to waive his right to a speedy trial.
“You know, I’m the public defender,” Weinstock said. “I have a right to be here, and I have a right to stand and represent my client.” The judge then challenged the attorney to go into a back hallway, where there were no cameras, so they can physically sought their differences out.
“If you want to fight, let’s go out back, and I’ll just beat your ass,” Murphy said, and the two men left the courtroom. The two walked out of the courtroom while courtroom observers watch in dismay. The observers were nice enough to clap when the altercation died down. According to sources, the judge threw several punches at the defense attorney. The judge returned to court after the fight and continued ruling over first appearances.
The argument was captured on closed-circuit video. See it below:
John C. Murphy was elected in September of 2006 and re-elected in 2012 for a term that expires on January 8, 2019.
