A Manhattan landlord can’t seem to find a judge to rule on his $15 million defamation case against Public Advocate Letitia James — because the pol has so many judicial connections.
A fourth Manhattan Supreme Court judge recused himself from building owner Kamran Hakim’s case against James on Tuesday.
Hakim is suing the public advocate over her annual list of the city’s worst landlords. Hakim landed in the No. 34 spot out of 100 property owners for 565 violations in seven buildings. Hakim argues that two of the buildings were vacant and the list isn’t based on “independent fact-finding.”
In the latest recusal, Justice W. Franc Perry revealed that James is a “close personal family friend” who’s dined at his home and visited his parents in their nursing home.
“I would hate for us to go further in this knowing that photographs with me and her at birthdays and at my children’s christening would come out,” Perry said.
A fifth judge will be selected through random reassignment.