She’s the toast of the criminals.
Bronx defense lawyers are celebrating Manhattan federal Judge Shira Scheindlin, who struck down the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk tactics only to be booted from the case over concerns about her impartiality, The Post has learned.
The Bronx County Bar Association plans to honor her with its President’s Award at its annual fund-raising bash Sept. 18.
Some group members are criminal-defense lawyers who have appeared before Scheindlin.
The event’s co-chair, Louis Fasulo, is a defense lawyer who has brought cases before her.
The incoming president of the group, Samuel Braverman, is Fasulo’s law partner and a criminal-defense attorney himself.
News of the honor comes a day after the Rev. Al Sharpton led a march in Staten Island against police brutality following the chokehold death of Eric Garner.
Law-enforcement advocates called the award inappropriate.
“I don’t know what’s worse ethical behavior — the Bar Association for honoring a sitting judge or a judge for accepting the honor,” a Bronx official said after seeing an invite for the event.
The Bar Association is asking $125 per head and $1,380 for a table of 12 for the event at Marina del Rey Caterers in Throgs Neck.
Detectives Endowment Association President Michael Palladino also slammed the award.
“It’s very odd. It’s certainly in bad taste,” Palladino said.
“It’s like they’re trying to get ‘most favored nation’ status for defense attorneys by honoring Scheindlin.”
Conservative Party Chairman Mike Long said: “It certainly raises eyebrows. It’s not an award I would give to this particular judge — that’s for sure.”
Fasulo, the event co-chairman, defended the honor.
“She’s been a courageous judge on stop-and-frisk and other cases. She believes in fairness and equality,” Fasulo said. “The stop-and-frisk ruling is one of the reasons for being honored — but not the sole reason.”
He said Braverman, his law partner, recommended Scheindlin after consulting with the Bar Association’s board members.
Braverman did not return a phone message for comment.
Scheindlin, contacted by phone, declined comment.
The judge ruled last August that the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk crime-fighting tactics were unconstitutional for targeting minorities. She ordered a monitor to implement reform at the NYPD, and Mayor de Blasio moved to abide by the decision when he took over at City Hall.
But the US 2nd Circuit of Appellate Court removed Scheindlin from the case, saying she “ran afoul” of judicial ethics and failed to “avoid impropriety and the appearance of improprieties.”
A veteran city judge said jurists may accept awards from lawyers groups but are barred from lending their names to fund-raisers involving nonprofits.
“It’s a very common occurrence. It’s permitted as part of the legal profession,” said the judge, who requested anonymity.
For example, the Brooklyn Bar Association last year honored US Judge William Kuntz II.
Additional reporting by Amber Sutherland