St. Joseph is located in the state of Missouri where it is the county seat of Buchanan County. It was named after Joseph Robidoux (a historical fur trader), and officially incorporated way back in 1843. It is locally known as “St. Joe”, Missouri, and was the westernmost city accessible by rail prior to the Civil War.
St. Joseph was voted an “All-American city” in 1997 and in 2007 was named the “Top True Western Town”. It is also known for being one of the endpoints for the Pony Express and is home to several historical museums, many of which focus on aviation history. St. Joe currently boasts a population of over 76,000. Several retail areas can be found on the city’s east side, such as East Hills Mall. Other popular places to shop are Northgate Shopping Center, and Woodlawn Shopping Center.
In recent legal news, St. Joseph was the focus of much attention as state Attorney General Chris Koster filed a lawsuit against Oak Mill, a vegetable oil reclamation facility located in St. Joe. The lawsuit alleges that the facility operations polluted the waters of Whitehead Creek and thus failed to comply with orders from a previous 2008 settlement. Despite the previous settlement, Oak Mill had been draining contaminated stormwater into the creek. The mill also had been operating without a valid license. This latest May 2010 case seeks to enforce fines of up to $10,000 for each day the mill remains in violation, and seeks to reinforce the demands from the previous settlement.
Legal cases involving the interplay between business operations and environmental protection are serious matters. If you feel you have such a legal claim, or any other type of case for that matter, it is important that you obtain an attorney. LegalMatch.com can put you in touch with one of the many lawyers who serve the St. Joseph area. LegalMatch is an online service that matches clients with attorneys, free of charge.
If you have a legal case in St. Joseph, your claim can be heard at the St. Joseph Municipal Court. The municipal court has jurisdiction over a wide variety of criminal and civil matters, as well as traffic claims. If you owe monetary payments, the municipal court now conveniently accepts credit cards as a valid form of payment.
For more information on legal resources for the St. Joseph, Missouri area, be sure to check the following websites: