Buffalo Chip takes quest to become town before Supreme Court

Recent Cases

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

  • Top UK court: Johnson’s suspension of Parliament was illegal

    Top UK court: Johnson’s suspension of Parliament was illegal

    Recent Cases 09/23/2019

    In a decision that badly undermines Boris Johnson’s authority, Britain’s highest court ruled unanimously Tuesday that the prime minister broke the law by suspending Parliament in a way that squelched legitimate scrutiny of his Brexit plan...

  • California high court eases secrecy limits on police records

    California high court eases secrecy limits on police records

    Recent Cases 08/28/2019

    California's Supreme Court is expanding 40-year-old rules for telling suspects when they've been arrested by a bad cop.The justices ruled unanimously Monday that police agencies' obligation to make sure suspects get a fair trial outweighs the privacy...

  • Court lets Purdue Pharma court records be made public

    Court lets Purdue Pharma court records be made public

    Recent Cases 08/22/2019

    The secret testimony from former Purdue Pharma President Richard Sackler and other records in a Kentucky opioids lawsuit must be made public after the state Supreme Court declined to review an earlier ruling.The court record was sealed in 2015 as par...

Any contracts or any transactions can go awry at any time

We know your business means a lot to you and want to understand all the aspects of your business so that we can help you in the best ways possible. We don’t discriminate depending on the size of your company. Our mission statement is to represent all business owners and entrepreneurs by navigating them through the rough waters of business litigation and guiding them to success.

We are attorneys who want to make sure we understand your business objectives and goals before we start providing you with legal counsel individualized to your business. We know what it means to be dedicated to your business. After all, we are a business as well. And just like you, we want to provide the best service we can to our clients.

Any contracts or any transactions can go awry at any time. Sometimes, making important business decisions without legal help from business attorneys could cost you your business.We don’t want you or your business to be misconstrued by anyone. Our attorneys make sure that we communicate with you often to make sure we are giving you the legal guidance you need at all times. We make sure we are responsive in a timely-manner with every single one of our clients to help them identify risks and prevent legal battles before they arise.

Business News

Clayton, MO Federal Criminal Defense Attorney The Law Offices of John M. Lynch, LLC, provides strong representation for clients with federal criminal defense. >> read
DuPage IL worker's comp lawyers The law firm of Krol, Bongiorno & Given, Ltd. has been a leader in the field of workers’ compensation law in DuPage, Illinois. >> read