Find Little River County Criminal Court Records
Little River County criminal court records are maintained by Circuit Clerk Cynthia D. Hocott at the Ashdown courthouse. This guide covers how to find criminal court records in Little River County, whether you need to search the state's free CourtConnect portal, make an in-person visit to the courthouse on 2nd Street in Ashdown, or send a written request by mail to get copies of filed documents.
Little River County Criminal Court Records
Little River County Circuit Clerk Office
Cynthia D. Hocott is the Circuit Clerk for Little River County. The office is at 351 N 2nd Street, Ashdown, AR 71822. Mailing address is P.O. Box 326, Ashdown, AR 71822. Phone is (870) 898-7211, fax (870) 898-7264. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Email is littleriverclerk@arkansasclerks.com for general questions.
The Circuit Clerk holds all criminal court records under Ark. Code Ann. § 16-20-102. This law requires the clerk to record all court proceedings, maintain case files, and issue legal process. Felony cases, misdemeanor appeals from district court, and all other criminal matters that reach circuit court are on file here in Ashdown.
Little River County is in the 8th Judicial Circuit South of Arkansas, which covers this corner of the state. The circuit court handles all felony charges and appeals from lower courts. When a case moves from district court to circuit court, the Circuit Clerk in Ashdown becomes the official keeper of that record.
CourtConnect is the free online case search tool for all Arkansas courts. It covers Little River County criminal cases and lets you search by name, case number, or citation without creating an account.
Online Record Search for Little River County
CourtConnect at caseinfo.arcourts.gov is the starting point for any online search of Little River County criminal court records. No account is needed. Search by name, case number, or citation. You can filter by case type, court, and date. Little River County has partial participation in the Contexte system, so the portal returns basic index data but not document images.
Results from a Little River County search on CourtConnect include party names, case numbers, filing dates, case status, scheduled hearings, and docket entries. The actual filed documents, court orders, transcripts, and exhibits are not viewable online. Juvenile records and sealed cases do not appear. Cases filed before the county entered Contexte are not in the online database.
If CourtConnect shows nothing, the case may predate the online system or may have been filed under a name variation. Call the clerk at (870) 898-7211 to check. CourtConnect goes offline from 12:30 AM to 2:00 AM on weekdays and from late Saturday night through Sunday noon for scheduled maintenance.
Getting Copies of Court Documents
You can visit the clerk's office in person at 351 N 2nd Street in Ashdown. Bring your photo ID and as much case information as you have. A public access terminal at the courthouse lets you run your own search first. Staff can locate the file and confirm exact copy costs before you pay.
Mail requests go to P.O. Box 326, Ashdown, AR 71822. Include both party names, the case type, the approximate filing date, and the case number if you have it. Attach a check or money order for estimated copy fees and a self-addressed stamped envelope for return. Under Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-101, the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, public records must be available during business hours and FOIA requests must be answered within three business days.
Copies cost $0.25 per page. Certified copies are $5.00 per document. Inspecting records in person is free of charge. Under Ark. Code Ann. § 21-6-403, new case filings carry a $165.00 fee at the circuit level.
Note: Mail requests take 7 to 14 business days on average. In-person visits get you records the same day when the file is available.
Arrest Records and the Sheriff's Office
Arrest records in Little River County are kept by the Sheriff's Office, not the Circuit Clerk. The Sheriff's Office is at 351 N 2nd Street, Ashdown, AR 71822. Phone is (870) 898-5111. The Sheriff handles arrest records, warrants, inmate records, and incident reports. These are distinct from the court case files held by the Circuit Clerk.
To get incident reports or arrest-related records from the Sheriff, file a written FOIA request. Include the date, time, and location of the incident and the names of the people involved. The office must respond within three business days under Arkansas FOIA. Warrant checks typically require an in-person visit with valid ID.
For a full background check that covers all 75 Arkansas counties, use the Arkansas State Police Criminal Background Check system. Name-based searches cost $22.00 each. This draws from the statewide ACIC database and gives a broader picture than a single county search.
Types of Criminal Records Kept in Little River County
The Circuit Clerk in Ashdown keeps records for all circuit-level criminal cases. Felonies are the most common type at this level. Drug offenses, assault, burglary, theft, and weapons charges all land in the circuit court. Each case file holds the charging document, arrest warrant if one was issued, bond records, plea agreements, sentencing orders, and a full docket sheet showing every event in the case from the first filing to the final disposition.
Misdemeanor cases appealed from the local district court also end up with the Circuit Clerk. District courts handle smaller matters first, but appeals move up and the Circuit Clerk takes over the official record at that point.
Certain records are not available to the public. Juvenile delinquency cases are sealed under Ark. Code Ann. § 9-27-309. Court-ordered sealed or expunged cases also do not appear in public searches. Social Security numbers, financial account details, and victim addresses in domestic violence cases are redacted from public copies. Certified copies come with the clerk's seal and a signed certification statement confirming the copy matches the official record.
State Resources for Little River County Records
The Arkansas Administrative Office of the Courts provides statewide court directories, self-help guides, and forms for accessing records in Little River County and all other Arkansas courts. The Arkansas Courthouse Kiosk program places free public access terminals at courthouse locations to help people search records and find legal forms.
The Administrative Office of the Courts is the best statewide resource for finding court information, clerk contact details, and self-help forms covering Little River County and every other circuit in the state.
Federal cases involving Little River County residents go through the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas. Federal records are searchable through PACER at $0.10 per page after a quarterly minimum. The Arkansas State Archives holds historical court records for older cases not found in electronic systems. For records going back many decades, the archives can be a useful resource. The Arkansas Association of Counties lists clerk contact details for all 75 counties.
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.