Buffalo Chip takes quest to become town before Supreme Court

Courts and the Judiciary

The South Dakota Supreme Court will once again hear oral arguments in Buffalo Chip's quest to become a municipality, after a lower court ruled in February that the popular motorcycle rally campground near Sturgis must be dissolved as a town.

The Rapid City Journal reports that oral arguments are scheduled for Sept. 30.

Attorneys for the state have argued that Buffalo Chip was improperly incorporated in 2015 because it had fewer than 100 legal residents or 30 voters, as was required by law at the time. The city of Sturgis has also opposed Buffalo Chip's incorporation for years.

Buffalo Chip officials have argued that the area had more than 30 voters.

Kent Hagg, an attorney representing the campground, said the case could come down to the difference between the words "and" and "or." He said the law in place in 2015 required municipalities to have at least 100 residents "or" 30 voters. In 2016, the state Legislature changed the law to require municipalities to have at least 100 residents "and" 45 voters.

Hagg said about 53 voters listed the Buffalo Chip as their address of record in 2015.

The campground fills with thousands of visitors during the Sturgis motorcycle rally, but has few, if any, year-round residents.

In February, Fourth Circuit Judge Gordon Swanson ruled that the town must be dissolved. The city has said in a statement that the judge's decision was based on common sense and plain language of the law. "It would not make sense for the Legislature to authorize the incorporation of a municipality with no residents."

Related listings

  • Kings coach Walton focused on team, not lawsuit

    Kings coach Walton focused on team, not lawsuit

    Courts and the Judiciary 09/30/2019

    Sacramento Kings first-year coach Luke Walton says he is focused on his team and not worried about a lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault.Walton spoke publicly Friday at Kings media day for the first time since a former sportscaster filed a civil s...

  • Dutch Supreme Court asked to clarify euthanasia case

    Dutch Supreme Court asked to clarify euthanasia case

    Courts and the Judiciary 09/27/2019

    Prosecutors have asked the Netherlands' Supreme Court to clarify legal matters in a landmark euthanasia case, saying Thursday they want to lay down unambiguous jurisprudence for the future.The Public Prosecution Service said by instituting "cassation...

  • Appeals court expands minor leaguers salary lawsuit

    Appeals court expands minor leaguers salary lawsuit

    Courts and the Judiciary 08/17/2019

    A federal appeals court has expanded a lawsuit by minor league baseball players alleging they are being paid less than minimum wage.Players sued major league teams in February 2014, claiming most earn less than $7,500 annually in violation of several...

Grounds for Divorce in Ohio - Sylkatis Law, LLC

A divorce in Ohio is filed when there is typically “fault” by one of the parties and party not at “fault” seeks to end the marriage. A court in Ohio may grant a divorce for the following reasons:
• Willful absence of the adverse party for one year
• Adultery
• Extreme cruelty
• Fraudulent contract
• Any gross neglect of duty
• Habitual drunkenness
• Imprisonment in a correctional institution at the time of filing the complaint
• Procurement of a divorce outside this state by the other party

Additionally, there are two “no-fault” basis for which a court may grant a divorce:
• When the parties have, without interruption for one year, lived separate and apart without cohabitation
• Incompatibility, unless denied by either party

However, whether or not the the court grants the divorce for “fault” or not, in Ohio the party not at “fault” will not get a bigger slice of the marital property.