Arkansas County Criminal Court Records
Arkansas County criminal court records are kept by the Circuit Clerk's Office, which operates two locations serving the county's eastern and western districts. Whether you need to look up a felony case, find a misdemeanor filing, or get certified copies of court documents, this guide covers every way to search criminal court records in Arkansas County, from the state's free online portal to in-person visits at the Stuttgart and DeWitt courthouses.
Arkansas County Criminal Court Records
Find Arkansas County Criminal Court Records
The Circuit Clerk for Arkansas County is Sarah Merchant. Her office maintains all circuit court filings under the authority of Ark. Code Ann. § 16-20-102, which sets out the clerk's duty to record all court proceedings, issue summons and warrants, and keep files of all pending and past cases. The office records felony charges, misdemeanor appeals from district court, domestic cases, and civil filings.
Arkansas County is unique in that it has two separate courthouse districts. The eastern district office sits in Stuttgart, and the western district office is in DeWitt. Both locations have full Circuit Clerk services. When you search online through CourtConnect, records from both districts appear together. If you visit in person, you can go to either office, though staff may direct you to the location where a specific case was filed.
The Stuttgart office is the primary contact point. It sits at 302 South College Street, Stuttgart, AR 72042. Phone is (870) 659-2098. The DeWitt office is at 101 Court Square, DeWitt, AR 72042, and also reaches by calling (870) 659-2098. Both are open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.
The Arkansas County Circuit Clerk's website has basic office information and contact details. Full online record searches are done through the state's CourtConnect portal rather than the county's own site.
The Arkansas County Circuit Clerk's Office manages all criminal court records for both the Stuttgart and DeWitt courthouses. The website provides contact information and office details for both district locations.
Search Criminal Records Online
The state runs a free online case search tool called CourtConnect. You can reach it at caseinfo.arcourts.gov. No account is needed. The search works by party name, case number, or citation number. You can filter results by court, case type, and date range. For Arkansas County, CourtConnect participation is partial, which means you get basic index information but not full document images.
What shows up in a CourtConnect search for Arkansas County criminal cases includes party names, case numbers, filing dates, case status and disposition, scheduled hearing dates, and general docket entries. What you will not find are the actual court documents, transcripts, affidavits, or exhibits. Sealed cases and juvenile records do not appear at all. Cases filed before Arkansas County joined the Contexte case management system are also not in the online database.
For cases not in CourtConnect, or when you need the actual documents, you contact the Circuit Clerk directly. CourtConnect is a good first step to confirm a case exists and get the case number before making a formal records request. The system is down for maintenance from 12:30 AM to 2:00 AM on weekdays and Saturday evening through Sunday noon.
Note: If your search returns no results, the case may predate the county's entry into the Contexte system. Try calling the clerk's office for older records.
How to Request Criminal Court Records
In-person visits to either courthouse location give you the most direct access to Arkansas County criminal court records. When you arrive, bring a photo ID, any known case information such as the case number or party names, and cash or a check to pay for copies. Public access terminals are available at the courthouse so you can do a self-directed search before asking staff for help. Staff can locate records and let you know the copy fees before you pay.
Mail requests are also accepted. Send a written request to the Arkansas County Circuit Clerk at 302 South College Street, Stuttgart, AR 72042. Include the case number if you have it, both party names, approximate filing date, and the type of case. Attach a check or money order for estimated copy fees and a self-addressed stamped envelope for the return. Processing by mail takes 7 to 14 business days. Email inquiries go to arkansasclerk@arkansasclerks.com, though staff can only provide general guidance by email and cannot send confidential documents that way.
Standard copies cost $0.50 per page. Certified copies are $5.00 per document. There is no charge to inspect public records in person. Under Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-101, the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, public records must be made available during regular business hours. Fee waivers are available in some cases for parties who qualify as indigent, provided the court approves a waiver form.
Stuttgart District Court and Case Filings
District courts in Arkansas handle misdemeanors, traffic violations, and small claims. When a district court case is appealed or involves a more serious charge, it moves to circuit court, where the Circuit Clerk takes over record-keeping. Stuttgart District Court can be reached at (870) 673-7466 and DeWitt District Court at (870) 946-3726. These courts handle the first level of criminal cases in the county.
Stuttgart District Court handles misdemeanor cases and traffic matters in the eastern part of Arkansas County. Appeals from this court move to the Circuit Clerk's office and appear in criminal court records at the circuit level.
Filing fees under Ark. Code Ann. § 21-6-403 set the new case filing fee at $165.00. District appeals carry a $150.00 fee. Reopening a case costs $50.00. These fees go to the Circuit Clerk when a case enters the circuit court system.
Arrest Records and the Sheriff's Office
Arrest records for Arkansas County come from the Sheriff's Office, not the Circuit Clerk. The Sheriff's main office is at 1000 Rice Belt Ave, DeWitt, AR 72042. Phone is (870) 946-3171. There is also a Stuttgart office reachable at (870) 673-7212. Sheriff Mark Gober oversees these offices.
The Sheriff handles arrest records, warrant information, inmate records, and incident reports. To get incident reports, you file a written FOIA request. Under Arkansas FOIA law, the office must respond within three business days. Provide the date, time, and location of the incident, plus the names of any parties involved if known. Warrant verification typically requires an in-person visit with a valid ID.
For statewide background check results, the Arkansas State Police Criminal Background Check system processes name-based checks for $22.00 per search. This system searches across all Arkansas counties and is useful when you need a broader search that goes beyond Arkansas County alone.
Note: Arrest records and court records are maintained by separate offices. An arrest record from the Sheriff does not always mean a circuit court case was filed.
Types of Criminal Records in Arkansas County
The Circuit Clerk keeps several categories of criminal court records. Felony cases are the most common at the circuit level, covering charges like drug offenses, violent crimes, property crimes, and white-collar cases. Misdemeanor cases appealed from Stuttgart or DeWitt district courts also land in the circuit clerk's files. Each case file typically contains the charging document, arrest warrant if one was issued, bond records, plea agreements, judgment and sentencing orders, and the full docket sheet showing every step of the case.
Some records are not public. Juvenile delinquency records are sealed under Ark. Code Ann. § 9-27-309 and are not available to the public. Records that a court has ordered sealed or expunged also do not appear in public searches. Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and victim address information in domestic violence cases are redacted from copies that go to the public. Certified copies include the clerk's official seal, signature, and a statement certifying the document as a true and correct copy.
Historical court records from Arkansas County going back to the late 1800s exist in the clerk's archives. Very old records may be stored off-site or held by the Arkansas State Archives. If you are researching a case from many decades ago, contacting the archives directly may be more productive than starting with CourtConnect.
Arkansas County Court Records Resources
Several online tools help with Arkansas County criminal record searches beyond the county clerk's own office. The Arkansas Administrative Office of the Courts website lists contact information for every court in the state and provides forms and self-help guides. The Arkansas Courthouse Kiosk program operates public access terminals at select courthouse locations, where you can search records, find legal forms, and learn about record-sealing options at no cost. The Arkansas Association of Counties directory lists contact information for circuit clerks and other county officials statewide.
Nearby Counties
If the case you need was filed in a neighboring county, these Circuit Clerk offices may have the records you are looking for.