


Embattled Bronx criminal judge Naita Semaj was spotted out and about for the first time since The Post reported that she would be moved to civil court amid her recent scandals — including letting accused an child-killer back on the street.
The notoriously lenient judge said nothing as she was seen walking around her Bronx neighborhood Saturday, just days before she’s scheduled to leave her current post and begin hearing civil cases on April 24.
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Semaj is currently battling a state probe into claims of unprofessional courtroom behavior and her decision earlier this month to free Tyrese Minter — a convicted criminal accused of murdering his step-son while out on probation.
The Post reported on Thursday that the Commission on Judicial Conduct opened an investigation into Semaj last year after she angrily kicked a veteran supervisor from the Bronx District Attorney’s Office out of her courtroom during a hearing on April 1, 2022, according to sources familiar with the case.
Semaj reportedly tore into prosecutors during a disagreement over a plea deal offered for a then-17-year-old charged with attempted murder and criminal use of a firearm.
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Sources alerted the Post to the probe after learning that Semaj was applying for a major promotion to be nominated for the powerful position of presiding justice of the Appellate Division, First Department — which oversees all disputed criminal and civil cases in Manhattan and The Bronx.
Semaj was scheduled to be interviewed for the job in Midtown on Friday, but she never showed, sources said.
Amid the controversy, rumors swirled that Semaj would be moved to civil cases, which sources confirmed to The Post on Friday.
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The soft-on-crime judge, who was elected to a 14-year term on the bench in November 2021, has earned a reputation for letting accused teenage criminals loose on the streets, even prompting rebukes from Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul.
She sparked public outrage earlier this month when she released Minter without bail after he was arrested for allegedly killing his 15-year-old stepson Corde Scott.
Just days after being cut loose, Minter was re-arrested on a parole violation for another crime, after his release drew the ire of Hochul and others.
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Scott’s grieving mother, Karen Glenn, told The Post Friday she was glad to see the judge yanked off criminal cases.
“I’m glad to hear that Judge Naita Semaj will no longer be hearing criminal cases,”she said.. “I believe in the justice system, and now families and victims can be treated with dignity.”
Glenn herself was berated by the judge for showing up late to the April 5 arraignment hearing for her son’s accused killer.
“This is not the first time she’s done bad things, like in my son’s case,” Glenn said.