Brevard judge appeals suspension after courtroom scuffle

VIERA, Fla. – Brevard County Judge John Murphy is trying to keep his job after his Oct. 6 suspension that was issued in response to an altercation between the judge and a public defender last year.

The suspension came with an order to show why Murphy should not be permanently removed from the bench, according to News 6 partner Florida Today. He submitted paperwork on Monday to demonstrate why he is still fit to serve, saying that "he has taken every step available to remediate."

Court documents state that Murphy has been issued a 30 percent disability by the Department of Veteran Affairs due to post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from his combat deployment to Afghanistan.

Murphy also received mental health counseling to deal with his PTSD and "better recognize stressors and triggers." His counselor testified that a recurrence is unlikely, according to the documents submitted by Murphy.