Judge Accused Of Yelling At, Threatening Kids No Longer Serving On Bench In Bridgewater

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — A Somerset County municipal judge, accused of yelling at and threatening children and their parents with deportation at truancy hearings, is no longer serving on the bench in Bridgewater following charges filed earlier this month.

The Supreme Court of New Jersey Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct filed the charges against Municipal Court Judge Britt J. Simon on Tuesday for making "repeated threats" and his "abrasive demeanor towards the children" at the hearings.

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.

"Judge Howes is our municipal judge. Mr. Simon is not serving currently, and we have another Judge Lenart and Judge Martin are standing in when needed on a per diem basis," said Bridgewater Township Administrator Michael Pappas at the Aug. 21 Council meeting following a question from resident Cathy Franco.

Franco asked if there was a resolution formally making these changes.

"In the judiciary, whenever there are instances when there is a need for a stand-in on a maybe for a day or two here or there, the municipality can bring on a judge for a session or two without formal resolution," said Pappas in response.

The complaint alleges Simon broke several Codes of Judicial Conduct including yelling at children when he was supposed to be addressing the parents, not having a municipal prosecutor present, inquiring about immigration status when it was irrelevant to the case.

The complaint details three truancy hearings in Bound Brook. In two of the hearings "the defendants were not sworn under oath and there was no adjudication of either case at the time of the appearance. In each of these cases, [Simon] interacted primarily with the children who were alleged to have been chronically absent from school, although their parents were the named defendants."

Since the complaint, Simon filed a response on Aug. 18 stating he "opted for strong speech, raising his voice, and empty threats against [the student] in hopes that he would correct his behavior" to Judge Gerard Shamey, who was included in the filing.

Additionally, Simon "explicitly advised Presiding Judge Shamey that he had tried 'speaking to the kids, then yelling, then empty threats' to encourage their return to school," according to his response.

Simon also expressed his belief that the Court "system is failing" adolescent children who desperately need routine during this critical time of their youth," according to the response.

He added that he didn't believe fining the student's parent was the solution.

"I am not going to fine a non-English speaking single mother that works two full-time jobs to keep her and her kid(s) head above water, all because a 15, 16 year old kid is lost. Our fine means that family doesn't eat that night," said Simon in his response.

In one hearing, Simon is accused of asking a 16-year-old child if his mother was in the country legally, according to the complaint.

When the child said no, Simon allegedly told the child, "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. You are vile and contemptuous. You want your mother to get deported? You know what's going to happen if she does, right?"

In another case, in August 2024, Simon allegedly told a female high school student:

"You think you have any future if you drop out of school? You've got no future. You will be left in the garbage. You can hang out behind the Dunkin' Donuts with all the other drunks and riff raff. You think -that's fine? Why are you not going to school? You want to be taken away? I'll have you taken away. They'll put you in a group home in Newark. You better not sleep. Don't close your eyes. I'm not kidding you. You'll have everything you own stolen. You will be beaten. Is that the kind of life you want? You want to go to a Newark group home? Why are you not going to school? Answer me. Answer. "

In New Jersey, if a child between the ages of six and 16 years fails to regularly attend school, as compelled by law, the parent is subject to a fine of not more than $25 for a first offense and not more than $100 for each subsequent offense.

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