Butler County
Butler County was formed from part of Allegheny County on March 12, 1800. Named to honor General Richard Butler, a hero of the Revolutionary War, its county seat is the city of the same name, Butler. Butler County, PA has played host to several well-known inventions and discoveries. John Roebling, designer of the Brooklyn Bridge, actually invented his revolutionary “wire rope” in Saxonburg. Butler County residents, William Smith and Edwin Drake, first proved that oil could be tapped from underground as a consistent supply in what later became known as Oil Creek. American Bantom also developed the Jeep in Butler County in 1941.
Many famous politicians have made their homes in Butler County, while others have simply passed through. Both categories have certainly left their marks on the county. George Washington moved through the area during the French and Indian War. Butler County’s sole U.S. Senator, Walter Lowrie, had his home constructed in 1828 behind the Butler County Courthouse, where it still stands today. William J. Perry, Secretary of Defense for President Bill Clinton in the 1990′s, became the Butler County resident to hold the highest federal rank. President Warren G. Harding’s funeral train passed through Butler County as it made the solemn journey back to Washington D.C. President John F. Kennedy delivered a speech outside the Butler County Courthouse before the 1960 presidential election, and Vice President Dick Cheney gave a speech in Saxonburg supporting President George W. Bush during the 2004 presidential election.
Pennsylvania lawyers practicing law in Butler County specialize in various niches of the law, including areas like bankruptcy law, employment law, personal injury law, immigration, family law, medical malpractice law, workers compensation law, and even criminal law. Criminal law involves, logically enough, crimes committed by one party against another and are broken up into two subsets: felonies and misdemeanors. Felonies are larger offenses that typically result in harsher punishments. Misdemeanors are smaller offenses that yield sentences that are not quite as harsh. It is recommended that defendants retain one of the many experienced Pennsylvania lawyers practicing criminal law to represent them no matter which type of crime they have been accused of committing.
One common area of law for which Pennsylvania companies in Butler County often need the assistance of a good Pennsylvania lawyer is that of immigration law. Many view the United States of America as the “Great Melting Pot”; the land of opportunity where dreams can come true for those willing to work hard. For centuries, citizens of other nations have been migrating here hoping to get their own slice of the American pie. Originally, just about anyone who wanted was free to move here, but as the nation’s population has exploded, immigration law has had to evolve to try and curb that rising tide in order to maintain the nation’s resources for its own legal citizens. In Pennsylvania, lawyers can assist citizens of other countries in their quest to enter the United States, whether temporarily or permanently.
In the U.S., federal immigration law governs whether or not people are considered aliens and the rights, duties, and obligations associated with being an alien in this country. It also dictates which aliens gain residence or citizenship within the United States. Of course, most aliens coming to the U.S. on a long-term basis are hoping to become legally naturalized citizens with full rights of citizenship, something many Pennsylvania lawyers have experience handling. At all levels, immigration law provides a gate-keeping service for the nation’s border, determining which aliens may enter the country, how long they can stay, and when they must leave.
Pennsylvania law provides for four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, rarer cases, towns. Below are listed the cities, boroughs and townships located in Butler County:
Cities
- Butler
Boroughs
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Townships
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Census-designated places
Census-designated places are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law, but are compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau in order to compile demographic data. Other unincorporated communities, such as villages, are sometimes categorized here as well.
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Unincorporated communities
- Boyers
- Eidenau
- Hilliards
- Renfrew
- Sarver