Sebastian County Criminal Court Records
Sebastian County criminal court records are maintained by Circuit Clerk Sharon E. Brooks, with offices in Fort Smith and Greenwood. This guide covers how to search felony and misdemeanor case records online through CourtConnect, how to request copies from either courthouse location, what fees to expect, and where to find arrest records and background check resources for Sebastian County.
Sebastian County Criminal Court Records
Sebastian County Circuit Clerk's Office
The Circuit Clerk for Sebastian County is Sharon E. Brooks. The county has two clerk office locations. The Fort Smith office is at 901 S B Street, Fort Smith, AR 72901, phone (479) 782-1046, fax (479) 782-8491. The Greenwood office is at 301 E Center Street, Greenwood, AR 72936, phone (479) 996-4175, fax (479) 996-2626. Both offices are open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.
The clerk's responsibilities are established by Ark. Code Ann. § 16-20-102, which requires the clerk to record all court proceedings, maintain files for all pending and closed cases, and issue process documents. Sebastian County's circuit court sits in the 12th Judicial Circuit and handles felony charges, misdemeanor appeals from multiple local district courts, domestic cases, and civil matters.
Email contact is sebastianclerk@arkansasclerks.com. Staff answer general questions by email but cannot send document copies that way. For records, visit in person or mail a written request. When you search CourtConnect online, records from both Fort Smith and Greenwood court locations appear together.
CourtConnect at caseinfo.arcourts.gov is the free state portal for searching Sebastian County criminal court records. Records from both the Fort Smith and Greenwood courthouse locations appear in the same online search.
Online Search for Sebastian County Cases
CourtConnect at caseinfo.arcourts.gov is the free state portal. No account is needed. Search by party name, case number, or citation number, and filter by court, case type, and date range. Sebastian County has partial participation, so you get basic case index information and docket entries for recent cases, but not full document images.
Results show party names, case numbers, filing dates, case status and disposition, scheduled hearings, and general docket entries. Actual court documents, transcripts, and exhibits are not available online. Sealed cases and juvenile records don't appear. Cases filed before the county entered the Contexte system may not be in the online database.
If a search returns no results, the case may predate the online system. Call the Fort Smith office at (479) 782-1046 or the Greenwood office at (479) 996-4175 to check for older records. CourtConnect goes offline for maintenance from 12:30 AM to 2:00 AM weekdays and Saturday evening through Sunday noon.
How to Request Criminal Court Records
In-person visits to either Sebastian County clerk location are the most direct approach. The Fort Smith office at 901 S B Street and the Greenwood office at 301 E Center Street both have full clerk services. Bring a photo ID and any case information you have. Public access terminals at the courthouse let you search before asking staff. Staff can locate records and tell you copy costs before you pay.
Mail requests go to the Fort Smith office at 901 S B Street, Fort Smith, AR 72901. Include the case number if known, both party names, the approximate filing date, and the case type. Attach a check or money order for copy fees and a stamped return envelope. Processing takes 7 to 14 business days by mail. General questions can go to sebastianclerk@arkansasclerks.com.
Standard copies are $0.25 per page. Certified copies cost $5.00 per document. Under Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-101, the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, public records must be available for inspection during regular business hours at no charge. New case filing fees under Ark. Code Ann. § 21-6-403 are $165.00 for new cases and $150.00 for district court appeals.
District Courts in Sebastian County
Sebastian County has several district courts handling the first tier of criminal cases before they reach the circuit level. Fort Smith District Court is reachable at (479) 785-5811. Greenwood District Court is at (479) 996-4191. Lavaca District Court is at (479) 674-5222. Hackett District Court is at (479) 638-8282. Barling District Court is at (479) 452-7311. Mansfield District Court is at (479) 928-4191.
When a district court case is appealed or involves a charge that exceeds district court jurisdiction, the Circuit Clerk takes over record-keeping. Appeals from any of these district courts to the circuit level carry a $150.00 filing fee.
Arrest Records and the Sheriff's Office
Arrest records for Sebastian County come from the Sheriff's Office at 801 S Waldron Road, Fort Smith, AR 72903. Phone is (479) 782-1046. The Sheriff handles arrest records, warrant information, jail records, and incident reports. The Circuit Clerk maintains court case files only.
For an incident report, submit a written FOIA request to the Sheriff's Office. Include the date, time, and location and the names of parties involved if known. Under state law, the Sheriff must respond within three business days. Warrant checks require an in-person visit with valid ID.
For a statewide background check, the Arkansas State Police Criminal Background Check system processes name-based searches for $22.00 per search across all 75 Arkansas counties.
Types of Criminal Records in Sebastian County
The Sebastian County Circuit Clerk keeps all criminal case files at the circuit level. Felony cases make up the bulk of the records, covering drug offenses, violent crimes, property crimes, and other serious charges. Misdemeanor cases appealed from the county's six district courts also land with the circuit clerk.
Each case file typically contains the charging document, arrest warrant if issued, bond records, plea agreement, judgment and sentencing order, and the full docket sheet. The docket tracks every step from filing to final disposition.
Juvenile delinquency records are sealed under Ark. Code Ann. § 9-27-309 and are not available to the public. Expunged and court-sealed records also don't appear in searches. Public copies have Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and victim addresses in domestic violence cases redacted.
Very old records may be stored in the clerk's archives or at the Arkansas State Archives. For historical records from many decades ago, the archives are often the best starting point.
Additional Resources
The Arkansas Administrative Office of the Courts website has forms, self-help guides, and contact information for all courts in the state. The Arkansas Courthouse Kiosk program provides public access terminals at select courthouses for record searches and legal forms at no cost. The Arkansas Association of Counties directory lists contact information for circuit clerks statewide.
For free legal help, Arkansas Legal Services helps income-qualifying residents. The Western Arkansas Legal Services program also serves the Fort Smith area. Courthouse law libraries in Fort Smith and Greenwood are open to the public during business hours.
Cities in Sebastian County
Sebastian County's county seat and largest city is Fort Smith. All circuit court cases filed in Sebastian County, including those involving Fort Smith residents, are handled through the clerk's offices in Fort Smith and Greenwood. Fort Smith is the second largest city in Arkansas and accounts for a large portion of Sebastian County's criminal case 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.