NJ Judge Suspended for Threats, Berating Children

Britt J. Simon, a part-time municipal court judge in Somerset County, New Jersey, was suspended from all judicial duties on February 11, 2025, after facing disciplinary charges for berating juveniles and threatening deportation during truancy hearings. The New Jersey Supreme Court’s Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct alleges Simon violated judicial conduct rules by yelling at children, expressing hostility, using derogatory language, and making repeated, irrelevant inquiries about immigration status. Reports detail Simon threatened children and their mothers with possible deportation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) if school attendance did not improve, raising concerns of ethnic and nationality bias. The complaint also notes Simon sometimes held hearings without a municipal prosecutor and failed to swear in defendants. These actions were described as inappropriate, unprofessional, offensive, and discourteous, with incidents documented in at least three truancy hearings. Simon remains suspended while the investigation continues.