White County Criminal Court Records
White County criminal court records are filed and kept by the Circuit Clerk's Office in Searcy, which serves as the primary office for all felony cases, misdemeanor appeals, and related criminal filings in the county. If you need to search a case by name or number, request copies of court documents, or find out how a case was resolved, this page covers the tools and offices available to you. The state's free CourtConnect portal is your first stop for online case searches, and the Searcy courthouse handles all in-person requests for White County records.
White County Criminal Court Records
White County Circuit Clerk Records
The Circuit Clerk for White County is Lisa A. Bennett. Her office sits at 300 N Spruce Street, Searcy, AR 72143. Mailing address is P.O. Box 728, Searcy, AR 72145. The main phone is (501) 279-6223 and fax is (501) 279-6243. Office hours run Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. The clerk's office handles all circuit court filings under Ark. Code Ann. § 16-20-102, which requires the clerk to record all court proceedings, file all pending and past cases, and issue summons and warrants as directed by the court.
White County records cover felony charges filed in the circuit court, misdemeanor cases that were appealed up from district court, domestic matters with criminal components, and civil filings. Each case file includes the charging document, any arrest warrant, bond records, plea agreements, sentencing orders, and the full docket sheet. The clerk's office also issues certified copies of these documents when requested.
The White County official website provides office contacts, courthouse information, and links to county services including the Circuit Clerk's office in Searcy.
You can reach the clerk by email at whiteclerk@arkansasclerks.com for general questions. Staff can provide guidance on how to request records, but they do not send documents by email.
Search White County Records Online
The state of Arkansas runs a free public case search tool called CourtConnect. You can use it at caseinfo.arcourts.gov. No login is needed. You can search by party name, case number, or citation. White County participates on a partial basis, so you get basic index information but not the full case documents. Results show party names, case numbers, filing dates, case status and disposition, scheduled hearings, and docket entries.
What CourtConnect does not show includes actual court documents, transcripts, exhibits, and affidavits. Sealed cases and juvenile records are excluded entirely. Cases filed before White County joined the Contexte case management system are also absent from the online database. If your search turns up nothing, the case may predate the system, or it may be under a different name spelling. In those situations, calling the clerk's office directly is the best next step.
Note: CourtConnect goes down for maintenance from 12:30 AM to 2:00 AM on weekdays and from Saturday evening through Sunday noon.
How to Get White County Court Documents
In-person visits give you the most direct access to White County criminal court records. Go to 300 N Spruce Street in Searcy during business hours. Bring a photo ID and any case information you have, like a case number or the names of the parties. Public access terminals are set up in the courthouse so you can search on your own before asking a staff member for help. Staff can pull records and let you know the copy cost before you pay.
Mail requests work too. Write to the White County Circuit Clerk at P.O. Box 728, Searcy, AR 72145. Include the case number, both party names, approximate filing date, and case type. Attach a check or money order for copy fees and a self-addressed stamped envelope for return mail. Standard copies cost $0.25 per page. Certified copies are $5.00 per document. There is no charge to inspect public records in person. Under Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-101, the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, public records must be available during regular business hours.
Mail requests typically take 7 to 14 business days. If you need a record urgently, an in-person visit is your best option. Fee waivers for indigent parties require court approval.
Searcy District Court and Filings
Searcy District Court handles the first level of criminal cases in White County, covering misdemeanor charges, traffic violations, and small claims. Reach the district court by phone at (501) 268-8351. When a case is appealed or involves a more serious charge, it moves to the circuit court and the Circuit Clerk takes over the file.
Filing fees at the circuit level are set by Ark. Code Ann. § 21-6-403. A new case filing costs $165.00. District court appeals carry a $150.00 fee. Reopening a closed case costs $50.00. These fees go to the Circuit Clerk at the time the case enters the circuit court system. If you are filing a case or appealing a district court decision, bring the correct fee amount in cash or by check made out to the White County Circuit Clerk.
Cases filed in Searcy District Court that were not appealed stay in the district court files and do not appear in the circuit clerk's records. If you are looking for a misdemeanor that was resolved at the district level, you need to contact the district court directly rather than the Circuit Clerk.
White County Sheriff and Arrest Records
Arrest records in White County come from the Sheriff's Office, not the Circuit Clerk. The Sheriff's Office is at 1600 E Booth Road, Searcy, AR 72143. Phone is (501) 279-6279. The Sheriff handles arrest records, warrant lookups, inmate records, and incident reports. These records are separate from court records and are managed under a different system.
To get an incident report from the Sheriff's Office, submit 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, and the names of involved parties if you know them. Warrant verification usually requires an in-person visit with valid photo ID.
For a statewide background check that goes beyond White County, the Arkansas State Police Criminal Background Check system processes name-based searches for $22.00. This is useful when you need results from across the state rather than a single county. Keep in mind that an arrest record from the Sheriff does not always mean a circuit court case was filed.
Types of Cases in White County Records
The Circuit Clerk's files cover several classes of criminal cases. Felony cases are the most common at the circuit level. These include drug charges, violent crime cases, theft and property offenses, and white-collar matters. Misdemeanor cases appealed from Searcy or other district courts in the county also land in the circuit clerk's system once they move up.
Some records are not public. Juvenile delinquency records are sealed under Ark. Code Ann. § 9-27-309 and do not appear in public searches. Records sealed or expunged by court order are also removed from public access. Copies sent to the public have Social Security numbers, financial account details, and victim addresses in domestic violence cases redacted. Certified copies carry the clerk's seal, signature, and a statement that the document is a true and correct copy.
Old criminal records going back many decades exist in the clerk's archives. Very old files may be held by the Arkansas State Archives. If you are researching a case from the distant past, contacting the archives may work better than starting with CourtConnect.
White County Court Resources
Several state tools support White County criminal record searches. The Arkansas Administrative Office of the Courts lists contact details for every Arkansas court and provides forms and self-help guides. The Arkansas Courthouse Kiosk program operates public access terminals at select courthouses where you can search records, print legal forms, and get information about record sealing at no cost. The Arkansas Association of Counties directory lists circuit clerks and other county officials across the state.
White County is the county seat city of Searcy. Residents and businesses in Searcy file criminal cases at the White County Circuit Clerk's office on N Spruce Street. The clerk serves the entire county from this location, so city residents and rural county residents alike use the same office for all circuit court 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.