Find Recent Arrests in Desha County
Desha County recent arrests are handled by the Desha County Sheriff's Office, with the main office in McGehee and the jail in Arkansas City. Deputies book adult arrests into the Desha County Detention Center on Robert S. Morris Avenue. To find Desha County recent arrests, call the jail or check the Arkansas Sheriff's Association portal. Court data posts to the statewide CourtConnect site. Desha County sits in southeast Arkansas along the Mississippi River. Arkansas City is the county seat, and McGehee is the largest town.
Desha County Recent Arrests Overview
Desha County Sheriff and Recent Arrests
The Desha County Sheriff's Office is at 316 Robert S. Moore Avenue, McGehee, AR 71654. The phone is (870) 222-5127. Deputies cover patrol, civil process, and court security across the county. The sheriff also runs the jail in Arkansas City. Most Desha County recent arrests start with a deputy stop or a call-out to a city police backup. City police in McGehee and Dumas also book into the county jail.
The Arkansas Sheriff's Association page for Desha County at arkansassheriffsassociation.com is a good first stop. It gives visit times, jail phone, and mailing address. The site also links out to other statewide tools. For the general state-level directory, see arkansassheriffsassociation.com.
Under Arkansas Code § 16-81-106, Desha County deputies may arrest with or without a warrant based on probable cause. After an arrest, the person goes to the Desha County Detention Center for booking. Booking includes fingerprints, a photo, and a pat-down. The staff log the arrest and set up a bond hearing.
Note: The Desha County Sheriff's Office is in McGehee, but the jail is in Arkansas City, about 10 miles away. Bond paperwork may need to be handled at the jail direct.
Desha County Detention Center Roster
The Desha County Detention Center is at 604 Robert S. Morris Avenue, PO Box 417, Arkansas City, AR 71630. The jail phone is (870) 877-2327, and the fax is (870) 877-3406. The facility holds pre-trial detainees and sentenced county inmates. The staff handle intake 24 hours a day. Booking records tie the person to a booking number, a mugshot, and a listed charge.
Since Desha County is small, there is no public-facing county-run roster. The best tools to find Desha County recent arrests are the state-level portals. The Arkansas CourtConnect portal at caseinfo.arcourts.gov shows charges filed in circuit court. The Arkansas DOC Inmate Search at apps.ark.org/inmate_info/index.php is the place to look for Desha County inmates who moved on to state prison.
The image below shows the CourtConnect statewide court search used to look up Desha County recent arrests once a case is filed. Click a name or case to view the full record.
For a jail info portal, see arkansasprisons.org/desha-county-jail. That page shows visit times, phone numbers, money order steps, and mail rules. The data on those portals comes from the sheriff staff. For live booking info, call the jail direct at (870) 877-2327.
Under Arkansas Code § 13-4-404, the sheriff must keep booking files for at least five years. That means older Desha County recent arrests data is still on hand. You can file a FOIA with the sheriff records clerk to pull the full packet for any arrest in the last five years.
Desha County Records and FOIA
Desha County arrest records are public under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act at Arkansas Code § 25-19-101. The sheriff has three business days to act on a written request. Send FOIA requests to 316 Robert S. Moore Avenue, McGehee, AR 71654, or call (870) 222-5127 first. Copy fees are nominal per page. ID is needed for in-person pickup.
For statewide criminal history, use the Arkansas State Police CBC portal at cbc.ark.org. ACIC fees are set by Arkansas Code § 12-12-1009. Request forms are covered at Arkansas Code § 12-12-1008. ACIC at acic.org handles the state file for arrest and court data. The Arkansas Attorney General's FOIA page at ag.arkansas.gov has a handbook with common FAQs.
Desha County Court Records
The Desha County Circuit Clerk is at 320 Robert S. Moore Avenue, McGehee, AR 71654. The phone is (870) 222-3526. You can walk in during office hours and ask the clerk to pull a case file. A small fee may apply for copies. The clerk handles felony, civil, probate, and domestic case files. District courts handle misdemeanors and traffic.
Most Desha County circuit court cases post to the Arkansas CourtConnect system at caseinfo.arcourts.gov. You can search by party name, case number, or file date. The site shows charges, the judge, hearing dates, and final outcome. CourtConnect does not host document images in most counties, so you may still need to visit the clerk for the full file.
Record sealing is covered by Arkansas Code § 16-90-1401. Most non-violent misdemeanors can be sealed five years after the case ends. Some non-violent felonies qualify too. Class Y felonies, sex offenses against minors, and Class A and B felonies other than drug cases cannot be sealed. The petition goes to the court that heard the case.
For release alerts on inmates in Desha County jail or state prison, use VINE at vinelink.com. The VINE service is free and sends alerts when a status changes. Sign up by phone or by web for each person you want to track.
Note: Sealed records come off public view but remain visible to law enforcement. The seal order goes to ACIC for a state-file update within 30 days.
Desha County is part of the 10th Judicial Circuit. The circuit takes in several southeast Arkansas counties. Judges rotate between counties, so hearing dates may vary by schedule. Felony cases from the Desha County Detention Center move to circuit court after a first appearance. Misdemeanors stay in district court. Most Desha County recent arrests tied to minor charges land in district court first.
Bond hearings happen within 48 hours of a booking. The judge sets bond, reads the charges, and asks if the person wants court-appointed counsel. Arkansas Legal Aid covers Desha County through its southeast Arkansas branch. Free help is on hand for civil and family cases to people who qualify on income.
Cities in Desha County
Arkansas City is the county seat of Desha County. McGehee is the largest town in the county and home to the sheriff office. Dumas is the second largest town. Smaller towns include Mitchellville, Tillar, Watson, and Arkansas City itself. Each town is small, with none big enough to run its own jail. All adult bookings in Desha County pass through the detention center in Arkansas City.
None of the towns in Desha County are big enough to have their own page on this site. For recent arrests data, check the sheriff jail direct or the state court portal. City police still work the case, but the booking is at the county jail.
Nearby Arkansas Counties
Desha County sits in southeast Arkansas and borders several counties. People who are not sure where a booking took place often check more than one county. Each of the nearby counties runs its own sheriff and jail.