Clay County Criminal Court Records
Clay County criminal court records are maintained by the Circuit Clerk's Office, which runs two separate locations in Piggott and Corning to serve the county's eastern and western parts. Whether you need to look up a felony case, check on a misdemeanor appeal, or get certified copies of court documents, this guide explains how to search criminal court records in Clay County using the state's free CourtConnect portal, in-person visits at either courthouse, or a direct request to the clerk's office. Both offices have full Circuit Clerk services, and cases from either location appear in the same online database when you search through CourtConnect.
Clay County Criminal Court Records
Clay County Circuit Clerk Locations
The Circuit Clerk for Clay County is Beverly Duckworth. Clay County has two courthouse offices, both offering full Circuit Clerk services. The Piggott office is the primary location and county seat office. It sits at 151 South Second Avenue, Piggott, AR 72454. Phone is (870) 598-2071. Fax is (870) 598-2072. The Corning office is at 800 West Second Street, Corning, AR 72422, reachable at (870) 598-2073, fax (870) 857-6424. Both offices are open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. For email contact, reach the clerk's office at clayclerk@arkansasclerks.com.
When you search CourtConnect online, records from both Clay County locations appear together. If you visit in person, you can go to either office, though staff may direct you to the specific location where a case was filed. The clerk operates under Ark. Code Ann. § 16-20-102, which sets out the duty to record all court proceedings, issue summons and warrants, and keep files for all pending and past cases.
The Arkansas Administrative Office of the Courts provides statewide court directories and resources that help locate Clay County criminal court records at both the Piggott and Corning courthouse locations.
Search Clay County Records Online
Arkansas runs a free online case search system called CourtConnect. Access it at caseinfo.arcourts.gov. No account or login is required. Clay County participates on a partial basis, meaning you get basic index data but not full document images. You can search by party name, case number, or citation number, and filter results by court, case type, and date range.
What a CourtConnect search for Clay County criminal cases shows you includes party names, case numbers, filing dates, current case status, disposition information, and upcoming hearing dates. What you will not find online are the actual court documents, affidavits, transcripts, or exhibits. Sealed cases and juvenile records do not appear at all. Cases that predate Clay County's entry into the Contexte case management system are also missing from the online database. For older records or when you need the actual documents, contact the clerk's office directly in Piggott or Corning.
Note: CourtConnect undergoes maintenance from 12:30 AM to 2:00 AM on weekdays and has a longer window Saturday evening through Sunday noon.
How to Request Clay County Court Records
Both courthouse offices accept in-person record requests. The Piggott office at 151 South Second Avenue and the Corning office at 800 West Second Street are open during regular business hours. Bring a photo ID and any case details you have. Public access terminals let you search on your own before asking staff. Staff can locate specific records and tell you the copy fees before you pay. There is no charge to inspect records in person.
Mail requests go to the primary Piggott office. Send a written request to Clay County Circuit Clerk, 151 South Second Avenue, Piggott, AR 72454. Include the full case number if you have it, the names of both parties, the approximate filing date, and the type of case. Attach a check or money order for estimated fees and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Processing takes 7 to 14 business days. Standard copies are $0.25 per page. Certified copies cost $5.00 per document. Under Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-101, the Arkansas FOIA requires public records to be available during regular business hours. Fee waivers for indigent parties require a court-approved form.
Arrest Records and the Clay County Sheriff
Arrest records for Clay County come from the Sheriff's Office, not the Circuit Clerk. The Sheriff is at 268 S 2nd Ave, Piggott, AR 72454. Phone is (870) 598-2571. The Sheriff handles arrest records, warrant information, inmate lookups, and incident reports. An arrest record and a court case file are separate documents held by different agencies. Not every arrest leads to a circuit court case.
To get incident reports from the Sheriff, file a written FOIA request. Under Arkansas FOIA law, the office must respond within three business days. Include the date, time, and location of the incident, plus party names if you know them. Warrant checks typically require a visit in person with a valid ID. For statewide background checks, the Arkansas State Police Criminal Background Check system runs name-based searches for $22.00 per request and covers all 75 Arkansas counties. The Arkansas Crime Information Center also maintains statewide criminal justice data that law enforcement agencies use.
Types of Records Kept in Clay County
The Circuit Clerk keeps several categories of criminal court records. Felony cases are the most common at the circuit level. These cover drug offenses, violent crimes, property crimes, and more. Misdemeanor cases appealed from district court also land in the circuit clerk's files. Each case file typically holds the charging document, the arrest warrant if issued, bond records, plea agreements, sentencing orders, and the full docket sheet showing every step from filing to final disposition.
Some records are not public. Juvenile records are sealed under Ark. Code Ann. § 9-27-309. Records that a court has ordered sealed or expunged do not appear in public searches. Social Security numbers, financial account details, and victim address information in domestic cases are redacted from public copies. Certified copies include the clerk's seal and signature as proof the document is a true and correct copy of the original filing.
For historical records going back many decades, very old files may be stored off-site or held at the Arkansas State Archives in Little Rock. Contacting the archives directly is often more productive for research on older cases.
Clay County Court Record Resources
Several tools can help with Clay County criminal record research beyond the clerk's offices. The Arkansas Administrative Office of the Courts lists contacts for every court in the state and provides court forms and guides. The Arkansas Association of Counties has a directory of circuit clerks for all 75 counties. For federal criminal cases involving Clay County defendants, the PACER system provides access to U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas filings. The Arkansas Attorney General's FOIA guidance page at arkansasag.gov explains your rights when requesting public records from any Arkansas government office.
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.