New Jersey Judge Britt J. Simon Accused of Threatening Truant Children and Parents with Deportation

On Monday, July 28, 2025, the New Jersey Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct filed a complaint against Municipal Court Judge Britt J. Simon, alleging he threatened truant children and their mothers with deportation during court proceedings.

The 13-page complaint, which includes transcripts from cases overseen by Simon in Somerset County, accuses the judge of violating the judicial conduct code through biased language and inappropriate behavior.

Simon, who served as a municipal judge for Bound Brook, Bridgewater, Somerville, and Raritan Borough, has been suspended from his judicial duties since February 11, 2025.

The complaint details three truancy cases where Simon allegedly raised his voice, scolded children, addressed them without a municipal prosecutor present, and involved their parents in additional reprimands.

In one case, on August 13, 2024, Simon spoke to a 16-year-old boy, questioning his mother’s immigration status after the teen confirmed she lacked legal documentation. The judge warned the boy that his truancy could lead to his mother’s deportation, stating that law enforcement involvement might result in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) taking action.

“So you want to call attention to the school truant officer — two officers sitting here — that you get law enforcement involves (sic) in your lives. Don’t you? So your mother can get picked up and deported by ICE. That sound like a great idea? You’re a wonderful son. I say sarcastically because you’re not,” Simon said. “You are vile and contemptuous. You want your mother to get deported? You know what’s going to happen if she does, right?”

On the same day, Simon addressed a high school girl who frequently arrived late to school and later stopped attending. After the girl’s mother confirmed her undocumented status, Simon told the student that her actions could prompt law enforcement to report her mother to ICE, potentially leading to deportation.

“How are you going to feel when the law enforcement comes to the house — ICE comes to the house because they get reported this, and they deport your mother because of you?” Simon said.

In a January 28, 2025, case involving a 14-year-old girl who missed 67 of the previous 91 school days, Simon again raised the issue of immigration. Both the student and her parent were undocumented. The judge warned the girl that missing more school could result in ICE officials removing her from the country, specifically referencing deportation to El Salvador.

According to the filing, Simon has violated the following Canons of the Code of Judicial Conduct:

Canon 1, Rule 1.1: Requires judges to uphold high standards of conduct to preserve the integrity and independence of the judiciary.
Canon 1, Rule 1.2: Mandates that judges respect and comply with the law.
Canon 2, Rule 2.1: Stipulates that judges must avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety, acting in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.
Canon 3, Rule 3.5: Requires judges to be patient and dignified towards all individuals they interact with in an official capacity.
Canon 3, Rule 3.6(A): Obligates judges to be impartial and prohibits discrimination based on various factors, including race, creed, color, sex, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, disability, age, and sexual orientation, among others.
Canon 3, Rule 3.6(C): Requires judges to refrain from using language or conduct that manifests bias or prejudice, and prohibits harassment, including bias or prejudice on the bases specified in Rule 3.6(A).