Fulton County Criminal Court Records
Fulton County criminal court records are kept by the Circuit-County Clerk's Office in Salem, which serves as both the circuit clerk and county clerk for this small north-central Arkansas county. If you need to look up a felony case, track a misdemeanor appeal, or get certified copies of court filings, this guide covers every way to search Fulton County criminal court records, from the state's free CourtConnect portal to direct requests at the Salem courthouse.
Fulton County Criminal Court Records
Find Fulton County Criminal Court Records
The Circuit-County Clerk for Fulton County is Kelly Thomas. Her office in Salem handles all court records under the combined clerk role, one of 14 Arkansas counties that join the circuit and county clerk functions into a single office. This means the same office that keeps criminal court filings also handles marriage licenses, voter registration, and property records. Under Ark. Code Ann. § 16-20-102, the clerk must record all court proceedings, issue summons and warrants, and keep complete files of both pending and closed cases.
The clerk's main office is at 123 South Main Street, Salem, AR 72576. The mailing address is P.O. Box 219, Salem, AR 72576. Phone is (870) 895-3310. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. You can reach the clerk by email at fultonclerk@arkansasclerks.com for general questions, though staff cannot send copies of court documents by email.
The office keeps criminal records for felony cases, misdemeanor appeals from district court, domestic cases, civil filings, and land records as ex-officio recorder. Because the clerk role is combined, visits to the same office cover most county record needs in one stop.
The state provides a public portal called CourtConnect at caseinfo.arcourts.gov for online record searches. Fulton County has partial participation in this system, so you get basic case index information but not full document images online.
CourtConnect is the state's free public portal for searching Fulton County criminal court records by name, case number, or date range. Basic case index data is available at no cost.
Search Fulton County Records Online
CourtConnect at caseinfo.arcourts.gov is the first place to start for an online search. No account is needed. You can search by party name, case number, or filing date. Filter by court location, case type, or date range. For Fulton County, results show basic index data: party names, case numbers, filing dates, case status, hearing dates, and general docket entries. Full document images are not available online for this county.
What you will not find in CourtConnect includes actual court documents, affidavits, transcripts, or exhibits. Sealed records and juvenile cases do not show up at all. Cases filed before Fulton County joined the Contexte case management system are also missing from online results. The system goes down for maintenance from 12:30 AM to 2:00 AM on weekdays and from Saturday evening through Sunday noon.
Note: If a CourtConnect search returns no results, the case may predate the county's entry into the Contexte system. Call the clerk's office at (870) 895-3310 for older cases.
How to Request Records in Fulton County
In-person visits to the Salem courthouse give you the most direct access to Fulton County criminal court records. Bring a photo ID and any known case details such as a case number or the names of the parties. Public terminals at the courthouse let you search on your own before asking staff for help. Staff can pull files and tell you the copy fees before you pay. There is no charge to view records in person.
You can also make requests by mail. Send a written request to Kelly Thomas, Fulton County Circuit-County Clerk, 123 South Main Street, Salem, AR 72576, or use the P.O. Box 219 mailing address. Include the case number if known, both party names, approximate filing date, and the type of case you need. Add a check or money order for estimated copy fees and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-101, public records must be available during regular business hours. Mail requests typically take 7 to 14 business days.
Standard copies cost $0.25 per page. Certified copies are $5.00 per document. Fee waivers are available for indigent parties with court approval.
Arrest Records and the Fulton County Sheriff
Arrest records for Fulton County come from the Sheriff's Office, not the Circuit Clerk. The two offices serve different functions. The clerk keeps court filings. The sheriff keeps arrest reports, jail logs, and incident records. To get incident reports or arrest records, you file a written FOIA request with the sheriff. The office must respond within three business days under Arkansas law. Provide the date, time, and location of the incident along with the names of any parties involved.
For a broader statewide background check, the Arkansas State Police Criminal Background Check system handles name-based searches across all Arkansas counties. The fee is $22.00 per search. This is useful when you need to look beyond Fulton County records alone.
Note: An arrest record does not mean a circuit court case was filed. The two records come from different offices and different processes.
Types of Criminal Records Kept in Fulton County
The Fulton County Circuit-County Clerk's Office keeps several types of criminal court records. Felony cases make up the largest share at the circuit level, covering drug charges, violent crimes, property crimes, and other serious offenses. Misdemeanor cases that are appealed from district court also end up in the circuit clerk's files. Each case file generally 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 the case took.
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 show up in public searches. Social Security numbers, financial account details, and victim addresses in domestic violence cases are redacted from any copies given to the public.
Historical court records from Fulton County going back many decades exist in the clerk's archives. Very old records may be stored at the Arkansas State Archives. If you are looking for a case from the early 1900s or before, contacting the state archives directly may be more useful than starting with CourtConnect.
Fulton County Court Filing Fees
Filing fees in Fulton County follow state statute. Under Ark. Code Ann. § 21-6-403, the standard fee for a new circuit court case is $165.00. Appeals from district court carry a $150.00 filing fee. Reopening a closed case costs $50.00. These fees go to the Circuit-County Clerk when a case enters the circuit court system. Specific fee amounts can change, so confirm the current schedule with the clerk's office before submitting a filing.
For copies of existing records, the fee is $0.25 per page. Certified copies cost $5.00 each. There is no charge to review records in person during regular business hours. If you need a large number of copies, staff can estimate the total cost before you commit.
Fulton County Court Resources
Several tools can help with Fulton County criminal record searches beyond the clerk's office. The Arkansas Administrative Office of the Courts lists contact information for every court in the state and provides self-help guides and court forms. The Arkansas Courthouse Kiosk program operates public access terminals at select courthouse locations where you can search records, access legal forms, and learn about record-sealing options at no cost. The Arkansas Association of Counties directory lists contact information for circuit clerks and county officials statewide. For federal criminal cases involving Fulton County residents, the PACER system provides access to U.S. District Court filings.
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.