Calhoun County Criminal Court Records
Calhoun County criminal court records are filed and kept by the Circuit Clerk's Office in Hampton, Arkansas. If you need to look up a felony case, check a misdemeanor filing, or get copies of court documents, this page covers how to search criminal court records in Calhoun County using the state's online portal, in-person visits, and mail requests through the clerk's office on West Main Street.
Calhoun County Criminal Court Records
Calhoun County Circuit Clerk Office
Sharon L. Hatem serves as the Circuit Clerk for Calhoun County. Her office is the main point of contact for all criminal court records filed in the county. The clerk maintains filings for felony cases, misdemeanor appeals, domestic matters, and civil actions under the authority of Ark. Code Ann. § 16-20-102, which requires the clerk to record all court proceedings, issue warrants and summons, and store all case files.
The office is at 213 West Main Street, Hampton, AR 71744. You can also use the mailing address at P.O. Box 1176, Hampton, AR 71744. Phone is (870) 798-2517 and fax is (870) 798-2560. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. The Calhoun County website has basic office information and contact details for the clerk.
The Arkansas CourtConnect portal at caseinfo.arcourts.gov is the main online tool for searching Calhoun County criminal court records and other court cases statewide.
The clerk's office records every step of a court case. That includes the original charge, arrest warrant if one was issued, bail and bond records, plea agreements, and final judgment orders. Each case gets a docket sheet that lists all filings in date order. You can ask to see that docket in person without any charge.
Search Calhoun County Court Records Online
The free statewide case search tool is CourtConnect, run by the Arkansas judiciary. You can reach it at caseinfo.arcourts.gov. No sign-in is needed. You search by party name, case number, or citation number. Calhoun County participates on a partial basis, so you get basic index data rather than full document images.
A CourtConnect search for Calhoun County criminal cases will show party names, case numbers, filing dates, case status, scheduled hearing dates, and general docket entries. What it won't show you are the actual court documents, signed orders, exhibits, or transcripts. Sealed cases and juvenile records don't appear at all. Cases filed before Calhoun County joined the Contexte case management system are also missing from the online database.
CourtConnect is a good starting point. Use it to confirm a case exists and get the case number before calling the clerk or submitting a formal request. The system goes down for maintenance from 12:30 AM to 2:00 AM on weekdays and from 10:00 PM Saturday through noon on Sunday.
Note: If no results appear, the case may predate the county's entry into the Contexte system. Call the clerk at (870) 798-2517 for older records.
How to Get Criminal Court Records in Calhoun County
The most direct way to get Calhoun County criminal court records is to visit the clerk's office in person at 213 West Main Street, Hampton. Bring a photo ID and any case details you have, such as the case number, party names, or approximate filing date. Public inspection of records is free. If you want copies, the fee is $0.25 per page. Certified copies cost $5.00 per document. You pay at the clerk's window after staff pulls the file for you.
Mail requests are also accepted. Write a letter to the Calhoun County Circuit Clerk at P.O. Box 1176, Hampton, AR 71744. State clearly what you need: include the case number if you have it, both party names, type of case, and the approximate year it was filed. Attach a check or money order for estimated copy costs and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Mail requests take longer to process, so allow at least 7 to 10 business days for a response. You can also email the clerk at calhounclerk@arkansasclerks.com, though the office can only give general guidance by email and cannot send records that way.
Under Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-101, the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, public records must be available during regular business hours. Most criminal court records filed in Calhoun County are public unless a court order has sealed them.
Arrest Records and the Calhoun County Sheriff
Arrest records in Calhoun County come from the Sheriff's Office, not the Circuit Clerk. The Sheriff's Office is at 1000 Mulberry Street, Hampton, AR 71744. Phone is (870) 798-2323. The Sheriff handles arrest records, warrant information, inmate records, and incident reports.
To get an incident report or other arrest-related record, you file a written FOIA request with the Sheriff's Office. Under Arkansas FOIA law, the office must respond within three business days. Your request should include the date and location of the incident, the names of anyone involved if known, and your contact information. Warrant checks usually require an in-person visit with a valid ID. Keep in mind that an arrest record held by the Sheriff and a court record filed with the Circuit Clerk are two different things, maintained by two different offices.
For a statewide background check, the Arkansas State Police Criminal Background Check system processes name-based searches for $22.00 per search. This covers all Arkansas counties and is useful when you need results that go beyond Calhoun County alone.
Types of Criminal Records Kept in Calhoun County
The Circuit Clerk in Calhoun County keeps several types of criminal records. Felony cases form the bulk of the circuit court files and cover charges like drug offenses, violent crimes, theft, and property crimes. Misdemeanor cases appealed up from district court also land with the Circuit Clerk. Each case file usually has the charging document, arrest warrant if applicable, bond records, plea agreements, judgment and sentencing orders, and a full docket sheet tracking every action in the case from start to finish.
Some records are restricted. Juvenile delinquency records are sealed under Ark. Code Ann. § 9-27-309 and are not available to the public. Records a court has ordered sealed or expunged also do not show up in searches. Copies provided to the public have Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and victim address information in domestic violence cases removed.
Historical court records going back many decades do exist in the clerk's archives. For very old cases, some records may be stored off-site or held by the Arkansas State Archives. If you are researching a case from many years ago, contact both the clerk and the archives to see which office holds the records.
Filing Fees and Court Costs
When a new criminal case enters the circuit court in Calhoun County, filing fees apply under Ark. Code Ann. § 21-6-403. The new case filing fee is $165.00. Appeals from district court to circuit court carry a $150.00 fee. Reopening a closed case costs $50.00. These fees are collected by the Circuit Clerk when a case enters the system.
Copy fees are separate from filing fees. Standard copies cost $0.25 per page. Certified copies are $5.00 per document. There is no charge just to inspect public records in person. If a party cannot afford the fees, they may ask the court to waive costs by filing an indigency form. The court reviews the request and decides whether to grant a waiver.
Calhoun County Court Records Resources
Several tools beyond the Circuit Clerk's office can help with Calhoun County criminal record searches. The Arkansas Administrative Office of the Courts website lists contact details for every court in the state and provides self-help guides and court forms. The Arkansas Association of Counties directory covers contact information for circuit clerks and other county officials statewide. For federal criminal cases involving defendants from Calhoun County, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas uses the PACER system for online case access, which requires a free account registration.
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.