Title 16, Practice, Procedure, And Courts

The judge of a district court shall be a qualified elector within the geographical area from which he or she is chosen.

District judges shall have been licensed attorneys of this state for at least four (4) years immediately preceding the date of assuming office.

(a) (1) The judge of the district court of any city in this state may, with the approval of the governing body of the city, appoint one (1) or more deputy district court clerks to serve under the judge's supervision.(2) The deputy district court clerk employed by a city or county…

(a) Unless otherwise provided by law, the salaries of the judges and other personnel of the various district courts shall be established as follows:(1) (A) The Arkansas County District Court — Northern District Judge shall receive an annual salary of not less than thirty-five tho…

(1) The General Assembly finds that:(1) The goal expressed by Arkansas citizens with the adoption of Amendment 80 to the Arkansas Constitution was the creation of a three-tiered unified court system;(2) The current structure of limited jurisdiction courts consists of a combinatio…

(1) As used in this subchapter:(1) “Department” means the physical location where sessions of court are held;(2) “District” means the geographical area in which a state district court may exercise jurisdiction and from which a state district court judge is elected;(3) “Division” …

(a) The judges who are appointed or elected to serve the courts created under this subchapter are state district court judges. (b) The state shall pay the salary and benefits of a state district court judge. (c) The salaries of the state district court judges are uniform and shal…

(a) From the appropriation provided for the expenses of state district court judges, a state district court judge is authorized to be reimbursed for those travel expenses at the rate as authorized for state employees and for mileage at the rate established in the state travel rul…

(a) (1) State district courts are courts of limited jurisdiction with criminal jurisdiction as defined by the General Assembly and by Arkansas Constitution, Amendment 80, § 7, and civil jurisdiction as defined by the Supreme Court.(2) State district courts may be given greater cr…

(1) The following state district courts shall be organized and designated in numbered judicial districts as follows:(1) (A) The First District is composed of Benton County.(B) The First District has thirteen (13) departments as follows:(i) One (1) located in Rogers;(ii) One (1) l…

(a) (1) Beginning January 1, 2021, the following cities and counties that are currently served by local district courts pursuant to § 16-17-901 et seq. [repealed] shall be reorganized as state district courts and served by state district court judges as assigned.(2) The new state…

(a) (1) Beginning January 1, 2025, the following cities and counties that are currently served by local district courts under § 16-17-901 et seq. [repealed] shall be reorganized as state district courts and served by state district court judges as assigned.(2) The new state distr…

(a) (1) Beginning January 1, 2025, the following cities and counties, currently being served by a local district court under § 16-17-901 et seq. [repealed] shall be reorganized as a state district court district and served by state district court judges as assigned.(2) The new st…

(a) (1) Beginning January 1, 2025, the following cities and counties under this section that are currently being served by a local district court under § 16-17-901 et seq. [repealed] shall be reorganized as a state district court and served by state district court judges as assig…

(a) This section shall apply to:(1) All cities in which there are located, or may be located, state-supported educational institutions with campus enrollments of no fewer than one thousand five hundred (1,500) students; and(2) The townships in which those cities are situated. (1)…

(a) Except as authorized otherwise, the county in which a district court is held shall pay one-half (½) of the salaries of the district court judge and each chief district court clerk of any district court organized in that county under § 16-17-901 et seq., and the quorum court i…

Each judge of the district court shall have the same power to postpone or suspend sentence in misdemeanor cases as is conferred upon the circuit judges of the state.

(a) (1) The salaries and operational expenses of district courts in any county having a population of two hundred fifty thousand (250,000) or more inhabitants according to the most recent federal census shall be paid by the city or town in which the court is located.(2) No portio…

(a) The General Assembly finds that:(1) The intent of Amendment 80 to the Arkansas Constitution was to create a unified court system to provide judicial economy and a fair administration of justice;(2) The judicial system in this state should be composed of three (3) tiers to acc…

(a) As used in this subchapter, “district court” shall include a department of a district court. (b) (1) Effective January 1, 2012, all city courts shall be consolidated with district courts and continue to exist as departments of district courts unless a city court is abolished …

(a) (1) (A) Any town or city that does not have a district court may contribute to the operational expenses of the nearest district court in the county where the town or city is located pursuant to a written agreement.(B) A written agreement is mandatory and is to be entered into…

(a) In the event the General Assembly establishes a district court cost fund to be used exclusively for the operation and expenses of the district court, any district court clerk's or other employee's salary authorized by § 16-17-108 may be increased from the minimum salary upwar…

(a) When required to make a certification of disposition of court proceedings, including without limitation certified copies of the docket, certified copies of civil or small claims judgments, and appeal transcripts, the district court shall collect a fee of not less than five do…

(a) An administrative fee may be levied and collected, in district court or city court, from each pretrial detainee charged with either a felony or misdemeanor who is placed under the supervision of the court pending trial. (b) The administrative fee authorized by this section ma…

(a) (1) The district court clerk shall collect a fee of ten dollars ($10.00) for filing or issuing writs, including writs of garnishment and executions.(2) The fee under subdivision (a)(1) of this section is in addition to fees and costs established by law for specific purposes o…

(a) Upon request of the district court judge, the governing body in which a district court is located or, if applicable, each governing body of a political subdivision that contributes to the expenses of a district court may contract with a person that has registered with the Sec…

(a) (1) (A) In addition to all fines now or as may hereafter be provided by law, the governing body of each town or city in which a district court is located may by ordinance levy and collect an additional fine not to exceed twenty dollars ($20.00) from each defendant upon each c…

The judge of any district court located in a county with only one (1) district court shall hereafter be elected countywide.

(a) A person required to appear before a district court in this state, having been served with any form of notice to appear for any criminal offense, traffic violation, or misdemeanor charge, shall appear at the time and place designated in the notice. (b) (1) If a person has fai…

(a) All fines, penalties, and costs received by the district courts shall be collected and distributed in the manner provided by laws affecting the former municipal courts, unless and until the General Assembly establishes a new method of distribution. (b) All salaries, retiremen…

(a) (1) District courts have jurisdiction of juvenile defendants for violation of local codes or ordinances, game and fish violations, and traffic offenses.(2) Juveniles charged with these offenses are subject to the same penalties as adults unless otherwise provided in this sect…

(a) (1) A county may employ one (1) or more district court judges to act as criminal magistrates in accordance with the provisions of Rule 1.8(a) of the Arkansas Rules of Criminal Procedure or in accordance with per curiam orders issued by the Arkansas Supreme Court.(2) A distric…

(1) Notwithstanding any rule of criminal procedure to the contrary:(1) A person who is charged in district court with committing an offense, excluding a violation of the Omnibus DWI or BWI Act, § 5-65-101 et seq., or the Underage DUI or BUI Law, § 5-65-301 et seq., or any other o…

(a) If authorized by the administrative plan for the judicial circuit required by Supreme Court Administrative Order No. 14, a state district court judge may preside over the following criminal matters:(1) A drug court program authorized under the Arkansas Drug Court Act, § 16-98…

(a) (1) A district court shall hold court in each department of the district court at least one (1) time a month unless mutually waived by the district court judge and the governing body of the city or town in which the department is located.(2) The agreement under subdivision (a…

(a) The operating expenses of the District Court State Automation System may be funded through funds received by the Division of Arkansas State Police from the United States Department of Transportation from the safety incentive funds received under 23 U.S.C. § 163, as it existed…

(a) District judges shall be qualified electors within the geographical area from which they are chosen and shall have been licensed attorneys of this state for at least four (4) years immediately preceding the date of assuming office. (b) Pursuant to Arkansas Constitution, Amend…

(a) If a district judge is disqualified or temporarily unable to serve, or if the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court shall determine that there is other need for a special judge to be temporarily appointed, a special judge may be assigned by the Chief Justice or elected by the ba…

(a) (1) The judge of any district court may appoint a clerk for the court, who shall be designated and known as the district court clerk.(2) The district court clerk employed by a city or county is governed by the employee handbook and policies of the city or county.(3) If a dist…

(a) The only fees and costs that shall be allowed in civil and criminal suits, prosecutions, and proceedings in district court are those specifically authorized by statute. (b) Nothing in this section or subchapter shall be construed as authorizing the collection by the prosecuti…

(a) The county or city official, agency, or department designated under § 16-13-709 as primarily responsible for the collection of fines assessed in district courts shall pay over to the district court clerk by the fifth working day of each month all sums collected. (b) The count…

(a) Any district judge who makes use, directly or indirectly, of the process of his or her own court, either as a party litigant or in interest or as an attorney or agent for any party litigant or in interest, or who offers or gives by way of remission of fees or otherwise any pe…

The prosecuting attorney or his or her deputies shall receive the same fees for prosecuting cases in the district court as they are allowed by law for the prosecution of misdemeanors in the circuit courts.

(a) All summons and other process in any civil cause pending in any district court shall be served in accordance with rules promulgated by the Supreme Court. (b) Where an arrest for a violation of state law committed within the township wherein the court sits is made upon a warra…

This subchapter shall be known as the “District Court Civil Jurisdiction Act”.

All civil cases filed in district court shall be subject to the procedural rules adopted by the Supreme Court for such cases.