Cleveland County Criminal Court Records
Cleveland County criminal court records are held by the Circuit Clerk's Office at the courthouse in Rison, Arkansas. If you need to find a felony case filing, look up a misdemeanor appeal, or request certified copies of court documents, this page explains how to search criminal court records in Cleveland County using CourtConnect, in-person visits, and mail requests to Circuit Clerk Beverly S. Bledsoe on Magnolia Street.
Cleveland County Criminal Court Records
Cleveland County Circuit Clerk Office
Beverly S. Bledsoe serves as Circuit Clerk for Cleveland County. Her office is the record-keeper for all circuit court matters in the county, including criminal filings, civil cases, and domestic relations matters. Under Ark. Code Ann. § 16-20-102, the clerk must record all court proceedings, issue warrants and summons, and maintain complete case files. The office tracks every filing from the original charge through the final judgment.
The office address is 20 Magnolia Street, Rison, AR 71665. Mailing address is P.O. Box 348, Rison, AR 71665. Phone is (870) 325-6522. Fax is (870) 325-7141. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Cleveland County maintains basic county records information online. Staff can help you locate case files, pull docket sheets, and process copy requests during regular hours.
CourtConnect at caseinfo.arcourts.gov is the primary online tool for searching Cleveland County criminal court cases and is accessible free to the public with no account required.
Cleveland County is a smaller rural county, so the clerk's staff handles a wide range of requests. Call ahead at (870) 325-6522 if you plan to visit or need to check whether a specific record is available before making the trip to Rison.
Search Cleveland County Court Records Online
CourtConnect is the free online case search system run by the Arkansas judiciary. You reach it at caseinfo.arcourts.gov. No account needed. Search by party name, case number, or citation number. You can filter by court location, case type, and date range. Cleveland County has partial participation status, which means basic case index data shows up but document images are not available.
When you run a CourtConnect search for Cleveland County criminal cases, you can see party names, case numbers, filing dates, case status and disposition, scheduled hearing dates, and basic docket entries. The search won't give you the actual documents, signed orders, exhibits, or transcripts. Sealed records and juvenile cases are excluded entirely. Cases from before the county joined the Contexte case management system won't appear either.
Use CourtConnect to confirm a case exists and to get the case number before contacting the clerk or filing a formal request. The system goes offline for maintenance from 12:30 AM to 2:00 AM on weekdays and from 10:00 PM Saturday through Sunday noon.
How to Get Records from the Cleveland County Clerk
Visiting the courthouse in person is the most direct way to access Cleveland County criminal court records. Go to 20 Magnolia Street, Rison, during regular office hours. Bring a photo ID and any case details you have. Public inspection of records is free. Standard copies cost $0.25 per page. Certified copies are $5.00 each. Staff will pull the file and let you review the docket sheet before you decide how many pages to copy.
Mail requests are accepted. Write to the Cleveland County Circuit Clerk at P.O. Box 348, Rison, AR 71665. Include the case number if known, party names, approximate filing date, and type of case. Attach a check or money order for estimated copy fees and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Allow 7 to 14 business days for a response. Email inquiries go to clevelandclerk@arkansasclerks.com for general questions, though records cannot be sent by email.
The Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-101, requires public records to be available during regular business hours. Most criminal court records filed in Cleveland County are public unless a court has ordered them sealed.
Note: If you need a copy for legal proceedings, ask for a certified copy so it carries the clerk's official seal and signature.
Arrest Records and the Cleveland County Sheriff
Arrest records come from the Sheriff's Office, not the Circuit Clerk. The Cleveland County Sheriff's Office is at 20 Magnolia Street, Rison, AR 71665, the same building as the Circuit Clerk. The Sheriff's direct line is (870) 325-6662. The Sheriff handles arrest records, warrant information, inmate lookups, and incident reports. These records are separate from court filings.
To request an incident report or arrest record, file a written FOIA request with the Sheriff's Office. Under Arkansas law, the office must respond within three business days. Include the date and location of the incident, names of those involved if you know them, and your contact information. Warrant verification generally requires an in-person visit. Keep in mind that not every arrest results in a circuit court case being filed.
For a statewide background check, the Arkansas State Police Criminal Background Check system runs name-based searches for $22.00 each. This search pulls records from all 75 Arkansas counties, which is useful when you need results beyond Cleveland County alone.
Types of Criminal Records in Cleveland County
The Circuit Clerk in Cleveland County keeps felony criminal cases at the circuit court level. These include drug offenses, violent crimes, property crimes, and other serious charges. Misdemeanor cases appealed from district court also go into the Circuit Clerk's files. Each case file contains the original charge, arrest warrant if one was issued, bond records, plea documents, judgment and sentencing orders, and a full docket sheet.
Restricted records are not available to the public. Juvenile delinquency records are sealed under Ark. Code Ann. § 9-27-309. Records sealed or expunged by court order don't show up in searches. Public copies have Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and victim address information in domestic violence cases removed. For older historical records, some files may be held by the Arkansas State Archives.
Cleveland County Court Resources
Several tools assist with Cleveland County criminal record research beyond the clerk's office. The Arkansas Administrative Office of the Courts lists contact information for every state court and provides court forms and guides. The Arkansas Association of Counties directory covers circuit clerks and county officials statewide. Filing fees for new circuit court cases are governed by Ark. Code Ann. § 21-6-403, which sets the new case fee at $165.00 and district court appeal fee at $150.00. For federal cases involving Cleveland County defendants, the PACER system handles Eastern District of Arkansas records.
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.