Somerset County Judge Faces Removal After Threatening Deportation In Truancy Cases

BOUND BROOK, NJ — A Somerset County municipal judge is facing removal from the bench after being accused of yelling at and threatening children and their parents with deportation at truancy hearings.

On Monday, the New Jersey Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct filed its presentment to the Supreme Court of New Jersey, recommending the removal of Brit Simon, a part-time municipal judge who presided over truancy cases in Bound Brook.

The Committee found that Simon addressed children in a hostile, threatening, and demeaning manner and improperly invoked immigration consequences.

Simon, who has been practicing law since 2002, was serving as a part-time judge in the shared Municipal Courts of Bridgewater Township, Somerville Borough, and Raritan Borough, as well as Borough of Bound Brook.

According to the presentment, Simon was suspended from judicial duties in all municipal courts within Vicinage 13, effective Feb. 11, 2025, pending the committee’s review.

The committee said the charges in a formal complaint were "proven by clear and convincing evidence" and found violations of multiple canons of the Code of Judicial Conduct.

Among those findings included Simon — while presiding over three truancy cases in Bound Brook — "addressed the allegedly truant children in a hostile, threatening, and demeaning manner, made remarks indicative of a bias or the appearance of a bias, and referenced the defendants’ immigration status and possible deportations as a consequence of those truancy matters."

A majority of the committee recommended that the Supreme Court institute proceedings to remove him from judicial office.

The three truancy cases took place in Bound Brook Municipal Court — two on Aug. 13, 2024, and one on Jan. 28, 2025.

In one case, the record quoted Simon telling a juvenile, "Your mother’s going to get deported."

In the same case, the presentment said Simon also told the student, "You are disgusting."

In another Aug. 13, 2024, truancy case, the record quoted Simon telling a student, "You’ve got no future. You will be left in the garbage."

The presentment said he also asked the child, "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?"

In the Jan. 28, 2025, case, the record quoted Simon saying, "Hey, there’s a new sheriff in town, okay. You’re illegal, you’re getting deported."

The presentment also quoted him telling the student, "You miss another day for school and I’m going to personally have ICE here to pick you up."

The committee said Simon was not taking guilty pleas or otherwise adjudicating the truancy matters and said his stated purpose for asking about immigration status was to verbally coerce students to return to school.

The presentment also cited Judiciary directives limiting when immigration-related information is collected and retained and said those policies did not authorize the conduct described in these hearings.

"Given the scope and degree of [Simon's] misconduct and its deleterious effect on his integrity and impartiality and that of the Judiciary, a majority of the Committee finds no discipline short of removal will adequately restore the Judiciary’s integrity and the public’s perception of the Judiciary as an institution worthy of the public’s trust," according to the presentation.

Separate opinions agreed with the findings but differed on punishment, with some members favoring a suspension or public censure instead.

The Supreme Court of New Jersey will decide what action to take next.

Previous Reporting:

• 'You Want Your Mother To Get Deported?': NJ Judge Threatens Children, Families, Complaint Says
• Judge Accused Of Yelling At, Threatening Kids No Longer Serving On Bench In Bridgewater

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