416.630. Courts, jurisdiction--civil actions, duties of attorney general and prosecuting attorneys--consent judgments allowed, when--final judgment, effect.

MISSOURI STATUTES AND CODES

416.630. Courts, jurisdiction--civil actions, duties of attorney general and prosecuting attorneys--consent judgments allowed, when--final judgment, effect.

Courts, jurisdiction--civil actions, duties of attorney general andprosecuting attorneys--consent judgments allowed, when--finaljudgment, effect.

416.630. 1. The several circuit courts of this state areinvested with jurisdiction to prevent and restrain violations ofsection 416.615.

2. The attorney general may institute civil proceedings toprevent and restrain violations of sections 416.600 to 416.640.The attorney general may employ special counsel in suits toenforce the provisions of sections 416.600 to 416.640. Theattorney general, at his discretion, may direct the appropriatecounty prosecuting attorney of any county in which any proceedingis instituted or brought by the state under sections 416.600 to416.640 or in which any investigation of a violation of sections416.600 to 416.640 is occurring to aid and assist him in theconduct of such investigations and proceedings. All reasonableand necessary expenses incurred by a county prosecuting attorneyor the prosecuting attorney's staff in assisting the attorneygeneral shall be reimbursed from appropriations made to theattorney general.

3. The attorney general is authorized to enter into consentjudgments or decrees with any party defendant in an actionbrought under sections 416.600 to 416.640; however, no suchconsent judgment or decree shall become final until approved bythe circuit court where filed or until a period of sixty days haselapsed since the filing of the consent judgment or decreewhichever occurs first, except that no such approval may beentered by the circuit court until the thirty-first day after thefiling of the consent judgment or decree.

4. A final judgment or decree rendered in any civilproceeding brought by the state under sections 416.600 to 416.640shall be prima facie evidence against the defendant in any actionor proceeding brought by any other party under sections 416.600to 416.640 against the defendant as to all matters respectingwhich the judgment or decree would be an estoppel between theparties thereto, if any such action is maintained within one yearof the date the judgment or decree is entered. This subsectiondoes not apply to consent judgments or decrees entered before thetaking of any testimony in the case or to judgments or decreesentered in actions brought in the state courts under section416.635.