Arkansas County Arrest Records

Arkansas County recent arrests are handled by the Arkansas County Sheriff's Office and booked into the county jail in DeWitt. Arkansas County is the oldest county in the state and has two county seats, DeWitt and Stuttgart. The jail does not post a public online roster, so you must call the jail to check on a person. For court files tied to recent arrests, the circuit clerk office in each seat holds the records. This page shows you how to reach the sheriff, the jail, and the clerk. It also walks through FOIA steps for arrest and booking records.

Arkansas County Sheriff and Recent Arrests

The Arkansas County Sheriff's Office is led by Sheriff Johnny Cheek. The main office phone is (870) 659-2060. The sheriff works out of two locations to cover both seats. The Southern District office is at 1000 Ricebelt Avenue, DeWitt, AR 72042. The Northern District office is at 312 S. College, Stuttgart, AR 72160. Deputies patrol the county, serve civil process, and staff court security. The sheriff also runs the county jail. Police in the cities of DeWitt and Stuttgart make their own arrests but bring people to the county jail for booking.

Arkansas County recent arrests typically move through the sheriff's intake process at the jail. Staff take fingerprints, a booking photo, and notes on the charge. The sheriff keeps the arrest log and the booking log for each person. Both are public under state law with a few limits. The office site at arkansascountysheriff.com has press releases, contact info, and basic facility details.

You can reach the office by phone or by walk-in during business hours. The sheriff staff can confirm if a person is in custody, tell you the charge, and list the bond amount. They will not read the full arrest report over the phone. For that you need to file a FOIA request.

Arkansas County Jail and Recent Arrests Roster

The Arkansas County Jail is at 1000 Ricebelt Avenue in DeWitt. The jail line is (870) 946-1421. The jail holds adults of both sexes. Staff set the bond, log the charge, and assign each person to a housing unit based on risk and charge type. The facility does not host a public online inmate roster. To check on a person, you must call the jail. Staff will give out the name, booking date, charge, and bond amount during a phone check. They will not give out the home address or other private data.

Recent arrests in the county go through the same basic steps. First the officer takes the person to the jail. Then the jail runs the intake. The jail log entry is open to the public as part of the daily booking log. Arkansas Code § 13-4-404 requires the sheriff to keep booking logs for at least five years. That helps when you need to look up an older arrest.

Mail to inmates goes to: Inmate Name, Arkansas County Jail, 1000 Ricebelt Avenue, DeWitt, AR 72042. Staff open and inspect all mail. Books and magazines must come straight from the seller. The jail accepts commissary funds in cash, money orders, or cashier's checks during business hours. Visitation follows the inmate approved list and the posted hours. Each visitor needs a photo ID.

Arkansas County Circuit Clerk Records

The Arkansas County Circuit Clerk is Sarah Merchant. She files and stores all court records for the county, including the criminal cases that follow recent arrests. The Southern District office sits at 101 Court Square in DeWitt with a phone of (870) 659-2102. The Northern District office is at 312 S. College in Stuttgart at (870) 659-2080. Hours are Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. The clerk site at arcocircuitclerk.com gives a full list of services.

The image above shows the Arkansas County Circuit Clerk home page. From there you can read about court filings, marriage licenses, and jury duty. The clerk holds records that date back to 1796. Most early records are on paper or microfilm at the DeWitt courthouse. You can also look up case status by party name or case number. Certified copies cost $5.00 per document plus copy fees.

For a statewide case search, the clerk also points to caseinfo.arcourts.gov, the Arkansas CourtConnect portal. That shows circuit court cases across the state. You can search by name, case number, or date. Arkansas Code § 16-55-116 makes most court records public. Sealed cases will not show up on the public side.

Filing FOIA for Arkansas County Recent Arrests

Arkansas follows the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act at Arkansas Code § 25-19-101. You may request arrest records, incident reports, booking logs, and mugshots. Send your request to the sheriff at 1000 Ricebelt Avenue, DeWitt, AR 72042. You can also walk in during office hours. The sheriff has three business days to respond. If the request is large, the office may ask for more time and an itemized fee estimate.

Copy fees are $0.25 per page. A certified copy adds $5.00 per document. Staff time may be billed for big requests. Bring a photo ID if you pick up records in person. You do not need to say why you want the records. Arkansas FOIA is one of the most open in the country for state records.

Some data is not public. Active investigation notes, juvenile records, and sensitive victim info are exempt. For a full list of exemptions you can check the Attorney General site. The AG office publishes a FOIA Handbook that explains each rule. Arrest power itself is set by Arkansas Code § 16-81-106. An officer may arrest with or without a warrant when probable cause exists.

Criminal Background Checks and Recent Arrests

The sheriff does not run full criminal background checks. For that you use the Arkansas Crime Information Center or the state police. The ACIC site at acic.org explains the rules and the forms. Fees are set by Arkansas Code § 12-12-1009. The request form for a criminal history falls under Arkansas Code § 12-12-1008.

You can also run a name check online at cbc.ark.org. This shows Arkansas felony conviction data. The site uses name and date of birth. For a full fingerprint-based check, you must submit prints and the state fee. If a record is wrong, Arkansas Code § 12-12-1013 gives you the right to challenge it and fix errors.

For people already in state prison, use the Arkansas DOC Inmate Search at apps.ark.org. That is for state custody, not the county jail. Still, Arkansas County inmates who move to state prison will show up there after transfer.

Victim Notification and Recent Arrests Alerts

Crime victims in Arkansas County can sign up for VINELink alerts. The free service sends updates on a person in custody. Updates include release, transfer, and escape. You can register by phone, email, or TTY. The site is vinelink.com. Registration is free and kept private. The inmate is not told someone signed up for alerts.

Record sealing falls under Arkansas Code § 16-90-1401. A non-violent misdemeanor may be sealed after five years. Some non-violent felonies qualify too. The petition goes to the court where the case was heard. Once a judge grants the order, ACIC has about 30 days to update its files. Sealed records still show to law enforcement.

Nearby Arkansas Counties

Arkansas County shares lines with several other counties. Each has its own sheriff and jail. When you are not sure where a person was booked, check the border counties as well.