Court reverses ruling on victim protection program

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - A Missouri appeals court said a lower court judge was wrong to order a woman to reveal her home address despite being in a program that shields the addresses of abuse victims.

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft and Attorney General Eric Schmitt on Thursday praised the ruling.

Ashcroft's office runs the Safe at Home program, which lets victims of domestic violence, rape, sexual assault, stalking and other crimes keep their addresses confidential by routing mail through a special post office box.

A St. Louis County judge in 2017 had ordered one participant to reveal her actual address as part of a divorce case. The judge said the application failed to include a sworn statement about the abuse.

Missouri's Western District Court of Appeals reversed that ruling Tuesday.