'Remains unremorseful': Judicial committee votes to remove judge who threatened to 'personally have ICE' deport families during truancy hearings

A region justice successful New Jersey is facing removal from the seat implicit a bid of inflammatory threats to person Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deport truant students and their families.

In February 2025, Britt J. Simon was suspended from the Bound Brook Municipal Court implicit what helium termed "empty threats" and different "horribly unpleasant" comments during schoolhouse attendance hearings.

Last week, the Supreme Court of New Jersey Advisory Committee connected Judicial Conduct issued a proposal that Simon beryllium "removed from judicial bureau for his violations" of judicial ethical standards.

"This proposal considers the seriousness of Respondent's ethical infractions, and the aggravating factors contiguous successful this case, which warrant the recommended quantum of discipline," the 32-page presentment signed by a bulk of the committee reads.

A formal complaint was filed against Simon, who besides served arsenic justice for Somerset, Hunterdon, and Warren counties, successful July 2025, implicit his comments successful Bound Brook truancy court.

"I had nary thought what to bash with them," Simon admitted during the 2nd installment of marathon hearings earlier the committee implicit his comments during 3 truancy hearings spanning August 2024 and January 2025, according to the New Jersey Monitor.

During each of those hearings, Simon aggressively questioned and threatened students and household members astir their migration status.

"Look astatine your mother, get acceptable to accidental goodbye to her," helium told 1 16-year-old boy. "Go ahead. Look astatine her. Look astatine her now. You privation to accidental goodbye to her? Because erstwhile you're deported, you're gone and you can't travel backmost again. Get retired of my courtroom."

In different instance, Simon told a 14-year-old, "You miss different time of schoolhouse and I'm going to personally person ICE present to prime you up."

In August 2025, the jurist admitted to immoderate of the allegations against him successful a 33-page answer filed with the committee.

"Seeing nary worth successful levying a good against [the boy's] mother, who by each accounts was not the crushed for [the boy's] truancy, Judge Simon opted for beardown speech, raising his voice, and bare threats against [the boy] successful hopes that helium would close his behavior," the reply reads.

In a abstracted email attached to the defence document, Simon personally explained himself to Presiding Judge Gerard Shamey, which is however the region courts became alert of the issues.

That email reads, astatine length:

I person tried speaking to the kids, past yelling, past bare threats. Nothing works. Yesterday I yelled astatine 2 kids. Both mothers (illegal successful country) were sobbing. The kids were emotionally flat. I warned the kids that bringing the authorities into their location could effect successful their mothers being deported each due to the fact that they drew attraction of authorities and didn't bash what they were expected to bash by going to school. Kids seemed unfazed. We are walking these kids into being dropouts. Carrots don't work. We request a stick!!!

In its June 10 ruling, an overwhelming bulk of the committee was unimpressed with Simon's defence of his actions.

"Respondent's behaviour successful these respective matters, which includes threats of deportation to unrepresented minors and forced household separation, coupled with Respondent's demonstrated nonaccomplishment to admit the impropriety of this behaviour oregon to afloat judge work for it, constitutes important violations of the Code of Judicial Conduct that irreparably impugns Respondent's integrity and impartiality and renders his continued work connected the seat untenable," the determination reads.

To that end, the committee "respectfully recommends the Supreme Court institute proceedings to region Respondent from judicial office."

A number of the committee suggested Simon's punishment – oregon "appropriate quantum of discipline" – should beryllium a nationalist censure oregon the extant suspension of his judicial duties owed to his "short tenure" connected the seat and his deficiency of disciplinary history.

The bulk flatly rejected this approach.

"[W]hile this is the archetypal judicial misconduct ailment filed against Respondent, it implicates an egregious disregard for the judicial bureau and his ethical obligations arsenic a jurist," the determination goes on. "Such misconduct needfully and earnestly undermines the public's assurance successful Respondent's quality to service arsenic a justice and to debar aboriginal excesses."

The bulk besides criticizes Simon for his ain responses – yet uncovering them little than contrite nether the circumstances.

"Respondent, portion acknowledging helium 'got it wrong' erstwhile adjudicating these truancy matters and recognizing his ethical work 'to enactment with patience, dignity and courtesy,' denies immoderate ethical impropriety successful respect of his behaviour successful these matters," the determination reads astatine 1 point. "[Simon] remains unremorseful for his misconduct and has, successful fact, refused, passim these proceedings, to judge work for his respective ethical breaches. [Simon], rather, has sought, astatine each opportunity, to deflect work for his misconduct onto his Presiding Judge and the Judiciary generally."