Florida

No New Hearing for Florida Judge Kicked Off Bench Over Fight

The Florida Supreme Court is refusing to grant a new hearing for a judge who was ordered off the bench for berating and threatening to fight an assistant public defender.

The state's highest court said in an order Wednesday that it is denying Brevard County Judge John Murphy's request for a rehearing in the case. Murphy had asked the court to change the reason for his removal from the bench last month.

He said it should be for a permanent disability, not disciplinary reasons, because he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder from his time in the U.S. Army Reserve, including a battle tour in Afghanistan.

He says his PTSD led to his courtroom outburst in 2014, which was the basis for the court's decision that Murphy was unfit for office.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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