Most domestic violence victims face court alone. A retired judge wants to change that

Only 10% of domestic violence victims report their abuser, and of those who do file for orders of protection, only 20-25% are granted the order. Mike Burton knows the real-life implications of these statistics well. As a St. Louis County Circuit Judge, he oversaw countless domestic violence cases — and in doing so, became aware of the many flaws in the system that lead to abusers not being held accountable. Alongside domestic abuse survivor Monique Green, Burton launched St. Louis Survivors Legal Support after retiring to help victims of domestic violence secure adequate legal representation.