It’s still the halls of justice, but no longer a haven for liberty.
A top state judge has ordered the removal of a makeshift memorial at Manhattan Supreme Court that paid homage to the city’s and the nation’s history with photos of 9/11 and news clippings of President Obama’s inauguration.
“Someone found something offensive and because we are a public institution, we erred on the side of caution and took down what was Scotch-taped to the wall,” said courts spokesman David Bookstaver.
The bulletin board surrounded the desks of six dozen Records Room clerks who toil in the bowels of 60 Centre St., a landmark civil courthouse opened in 1927 that often appears in scenes on TV’s “Law & Order.”
The space became a shrine to the city’s endurance after the 2001 terror attacks when staffers started the tradition of posting newspaper articles and color photos on the 20-foot, white walls in the first days they returned to work after the devastating events.
One of the most prominent photos was the iconic image of three firefighters raising an American flag at Ground Zero.
Other clippings celebrated Big Apple sports victories, but without playing favorites. Both the Yankees and Mets were represented, as were the Jets and Giants.
Visitors waiting to pull old court files were greeted by the smiling faces of the Obama family during the historic election night in Chicago in November 2008.
But last week, an order came down from the Office of Court Administration that the walls must be whitewashed. Now, only remnants of Scotch tape and the outlines of news clippings remain.
“It came from up top,” an unhappy clerk told The Post.
Multiple sources told The Post that an emissary for the state’s most powerful judges within the Office of Court Administration complained about the mementos.
The anonymous judicial lackey reported to higher-ups that he or she was “offended” by some of the images; it’s unclear which ones.
Another court source said the memorial had started to look “trashy” and had to come down because it was “a no-no that was overlooked for years.”