An “unfeeling” Manhattan Housing Court judge who once ridiculed a disabled attorney was booted from the bench this week after a review panel determined she lacked the “judicial temperament” needed to do her job.
Judge Susan Avery lost her cushy, $187,200-a-year political appointment on Wednesday following years of complaints.
In 2013 she reprimanded a lawyer with cerebral palsy for his sloppy handwriting, allowed “excessive” adjournments for cases about tenants without heat and hot water, and failed to disclose a conflict of interest, according to a review panel.
Last year, the 14-member Advisory Council for the Housing Part of the Civil Court of New York City called the judge “unfeeling” for the handwriting reprimand.
The council also criticized Avery, who was appointed in 2012, for “excessive multi-week adjournments” for cases where residents lacked basic services.
The council was “disturbed further” by Avery’s failure to disclose that a law firm administering her family’s trust fund also regularly represents landlords in cases before the judge.
Avery’s garnered two “not approved” ratings by the city Bar Association and voters twice rejected her bids to become an elected judge.
“Judge Avery’s application for reappointment to a five year term as a New York City Housing Court Judge was denied earlier this week,” a court spokesman told The Post.
“That determination was made by the Chief Administrative Judge after considering the recommendation by The Housing Court Advisory Council along with discussions and input from her four supervising judges and his own assessment that she lacked the judicial temperament needed to perform her job,” the spokesman added.
Gail Prudenti, the former chief judge who appointed Avery in 2012, has said she doesn’t recall choosing her.
Avery, who lives on the Upper East Side, did not immediately return a message seeking comment.