Hon. Michael D. Burton See Rating Details
Circuit Judge
Circuit Court
St. Louis County
See Comments

Attorney Average Rating:   6.5 - 14 rating(s)
Non-Attorney Average Rating:   2.0 - 6 rating(s)
Please send me alerts on this judge
E-mail Address:




Add your own rating

E-Mail Address (will not be displayed)
   
Confirm E-mail Address      
Zip
Occupation

Only items marked with (*) are averaged into the displayed overall rating.


General Rating Criteria

* Temperament (1=Awful,10=Excellent)
* Scholarship (1=Awful,10=Excellent)
* Industriousness (1=Not at all industrious,10=Highly industrious)
* Ability to Handle Complex Litigation (1=Awful,10=Excellent)
* Punctuality (1=Chronically Late,10=Always on Time)
* General Ability to Handle Pre-Trial Matters (1=Not all Able, 10=Extremely Able)
* General Ability as a Trial Judge (1=Not all Able, 10=Extremely Able)
Flexibility In Scheduling (1=Completely Inflexible,10=Very Flexible)


Criminal Rating Criteria (if applicable)

* Evenhandedness in Criminal Litigation (1=Demonstrates Bias,10=Entirely Evenhanded)
General Inclination Regarding Bail (1=Pro-Defense,10=Pro-Government)
Involvement in Plea Discussions (1=Not at all Involved, 10=Very Involved)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Pretrial Stage (1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Trial Stage (1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Sentencing Stage (1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)


Civil Rating Criteria (if applicable)

* Evenhandedness in Civil Litigation (1=Not at all Evenhanded,10=Entirely Evenhanded)
Involvement in Settlement Discussions (1=Not at all Involved,10=Very Involved)
General Inclination (1=Pro-defendant, 10=Pro-plaintiff)
Comments


Please type what you see below:

    

What others have said about Hon. Michael D. Burton


Comments


Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: MO470
Rating:1.0
Comments:
This judge is pro money. He was forced into retirement but should have been criminally investigated. He ran the circuit as his brotherhood and not as a neutral public servant. This court has a long way before it cleans their ranks. The court does not protect children in juvenile and family law cases. Forget about evidence, due process, justice and child abuse and neglect. It's all about money. Show Me State has nothing to show. This court under Burton's leadership was turned into a dirty cancerous cesspool which must be drained.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: MO465
Rating:1.0
Comments:
This judge is off the bench for the right reasons. St Louis County Circuit Court has a long way to go in cleaning their ranks...Rampant lack of professionalism, zero accountability, nepotism, open bias, the court operates like a clan and not like a justice institution.

Court Staff

Comment #: MO356
Rating:10.0
Comments:
I’ve had the privilege of observing this judge in and out of the courtroom and can comment with great certainty that this man is genuine, caring, thoughtful and truely compassionate. He is fair and he’s consistently considered and weighed all aspects of every decision he has made on the bench.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: MO325
Rating:9.8
Comments:
Judge Burton is one of the most thorough circuit court Judges in Missouri. He is prepared and has read briefing before oral argument in civil cases. His questions are incisive and more akin to questions at the appellate level. He is also an extraordinarily nice person.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: MO290
Rating:8.8
Comments:
Great Judge. He is a pleasure to be in front of and is always cordial

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: MO204
Rating:1.5
Comments:
Clearly there is a pattern of bias. He destroys lives without even bothering with evidence. Even when evidence, including hotline complaints and tros are in front of him, he still gives the abusive, neglectful parent sole custody. Children have been harmed and at least one pushed to the edge of death. This man is a menace and family court is all the better for his removal

Litigant

Comment #: MO203
Rating:1.0
Comments:
Judge Burton is biased and makes decisions about children based on money. He ignores facts and evidence of abuse and does not consider whats best for the children. The only people who love him are attorneys because he fills their pocket books by dragging matters out. The real losers of his decisions are good parents who thought he would look at the evidence and make a fair decision. If you have documented ABUSE and recordings of a parent alienating your child and he ignores it, then how is he serving the best interest of the children?

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: MO189
Rating:10.0
Comments:
Judge B is what we all want in a jurist. He is fair and diligent. Despite some of the crackpots in family court (see below) who lose because thir cases had no merit or because they cannot try a case, the judge has stayed in hands down the toughest assignment for a decade. Even though he gets wrongly accused by the occasional idiot (out of the thousands of litigants each year, 50% of whom lose in family court), Burton keeps plugging along, never looking for any recognition. Just doing his job. These chickens below have to explain why they lost their case to their client -- maybe because they were not prepared or should have settled.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: MO187
Rating:3.3
Comments:
Judge Burton is the court's dirty little secret. I've seen many cases he's botched simply because he does not listen and does not seem to care. He looks great and puts on a good face for the court, but he is incompetent and uncaring.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: MO185
Rating:10.0
Comments:
The guy's awesome. Angry litigants can whine all they want but it is probably because the judge accurately figured them out. This guy is careful, listens to everyone and cares the utmost about the children involved. Probably not about the crackheads and molesters. (See below.)

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: MO174
Rating:10.0
Comments:
So good that angry litigants can anonymously send comments about a good jurist like Judge Burton. This guy is in the toughest assignment and has to make tough decisions every day, typically angering half the litigants that come before him. The brave idiotic authors below talk about "lives destroyed" by Burton when in reality they did the destroying themselves, usually because of drugs and perverted acts. Too bad that this website doesn't have a mirror.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: MO173
Rating:2.1
Comments:
The lawyers who think Judge Burton is good are probably young and inexperienced. Get in front of him a few times in a fiery dissolution and you will see his true colors. I've seen lives destroyed because of his careless decisions. Best interest of the child? Yeah, right.

Litigant

Comment #: MO171
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Terrible--There are seven out of eight decisions were appealed and overturned, returned or modified. He is an ignorant judge and there is nothing honorable about is approach or decisions.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: MO169
Rating:9.8
Comments:
Check out the judge's bar evaluations, from the people that know him best and don't have a reason to be suspect of being able to give accurate reviews. Who would be worse to give an evaluation of the guy than a group of mad people who did not get custody of their kids (and yes probably for a very good reason!)Here's to Judge Burton!

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: MO168
Rating:10.0
Comments:
Great system we have: a ticked off litigant can vent when a good judge rules against them. Never mind the fact that the losing party is a lunatic who may be on crack or something worse. This judge is truly repected by all that know him, other than losing litigants with an axe to grind. (And I especially like the comment from someone who admittedly reveals that he hardly knows the judge -- but don't let that stop him from commenting!)

Litigant

Comment #: MO165
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Good and fair. This guy is what we want in a judge.

Other

Comment #: MO151
Rating:1.0
Comments:
Judge Burton doesn't bother to hear cases. Doesn't even pretend to hear evidence. Has professionals wait while he and the attorney's laugh it up in his chambers. He just destroys people.

Litigant

Comment #: MO143
Rating:1.0
Comments:
Arrogant, refuses to listen, makes up his mind by whichever attorney bullies him better. Does not think beyond his nose as to how damaging his biased opinions are to individuals and families. How can he continue as a judge? Perhaps the Ultimate Judge will meet out the same to Burton.

Litigant

Comment #: MO140
Rating:1.0
Comments:
If I could rate him a 0, I would. He is unwilling to even listen to witnesses or evidence. He states in so many words that he is punishing one party over the other. There is nothing honorable about this arrogant SOB. He judges people, but never adjudicates the case with any regard to evidence or effects on the individuals involved. I have filed an official complaint against him.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: MO116
Rating:3.9
Comments:
Judge Burton is anything but fair and evenhanded. I have not had extensive experience with him, but what I have seen is disappointing, to put it mildly. He seems easily bullied, which makes him a delight to many attorneys, but a nightmare to many litigants. He often seems in over his head, particularly with dissolutions, which I understand he doesn't handle much anymore, thankfully.

Litigant

Comment #: MO115
Rating:1.0
Comments:
Judge Burton destroyed my family. He denied me due process by not allowing my attorney to question "witnesses" who lied (citing "time constraints"). He disregarded the testimony of the Court's own experts who testified strongly in my favor. He ignored Missouri Statute. He ignored witness after witness who confirmed my good character and record of outstanding citizenship and parenthood. My six-year-old daughter's life is forever ruined because of Judge Burton. He is punitive, capricious, self-rightous, and has no regard for children or the law. He puts on a good "show" with his involvement in Big Brothers/Big Sisters and his new domestic violence program, but in the end, he is a disgrace to the bench.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: MO37
Rating:9.8
Comments:
Judge Burton is one of the finest judges I have appeared in front of. He treats all of the counsel and the parties with tremendous respect and courtesy, he carefully considers the arguments of counsel, he studies the law and makes comprehensive and well-thought out rulings. He represents the best qualities in a judge, and does it with no apparent bias or agenda.