NEW YORK (AP) – A federal judge presiding over a case involving an autistic boy took a shot at former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin for bringing her Down syndrome child on stage after a debate last year.

U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald made the remarks during a settlement conference with lawyers involved in a lawsuit against a luxury building in Manhattan. The parents of an 11-year-old boy are fighting a 25-pound limit on dogs, saying a big dog is medically necessary to help their son cope with Asperger’s syndrome.

“That kid was used as a prop,” the judge said. “And that to me as a parent blew my mind.”

Such conferences are often held behind closed doors, but the remarks were overheard by a reporter for the New York Daily news.

Buchwald, 62, was appointed by former President Bill Clinton.

AP-ES-02-05-09 1649EST