New York Daily News

There goes the judge: Booted in Qns.

- BY STEPHEN REX BROWN

A short-fused judge known for his angry on-the-bench outbursts was removed from his post at Queens Housing Court Tuesday.

Judge Terrence O'Connor was first suspended in early April, when the State Commission on Judicial Conduct recommende­d he be booted from the bench. The Court of Appeals agreed with the recommenda­tion in a nine-page ruling that officially fired him from his $193,000-a-year job.

“On numerous occasions, (O'Connor) acted impatientl­y, raised his voice, and made demeaning and insulting remarks, often in open court,” the state's highest court wrote.

The judge berated attorneys on at least two occasions for reflexivel­y saying “OK” while questionin­g witnesses. Papers show he raised tensions by threatenin­g the attorneys — who then accidental­ly said “OK” yet again.

In March 2015, O'Connor, 69, railed at a lawyer who failed to take off his coat and had his phone in his lap.

"Is there some course in law school now, how to be discourteo­us and how to be rude? Because if there is, you must have gotten an 'A' in it!" O'Connor barked.

The son of the late Queens District Attorney Frank O'Connor, the judge had already been censured in 2013 for doing outside work while on the bench.

He was elected to a 10year term in 2008.

O'Connor's “sustained pattern of inappropri­ate behavior evinced a lack of understand­ing his role as judge,” the court wrote.

The hot-headed jurist did himself no favors by refusing to testify in an April 7, 2017, hearing before the Commission on Judicial Conduct.

"This place is a f---ing clown show," he grumbled as he left the hearing, according to papers.

A woman who answered the phone at O'Connor's home said he was not available.

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