Arkansas Code of 1987 (2023) › Title 16 - PRACTICE, PROCEDURE, AND COURTS (§§ 16-1-101 — 16-131-206) › Subtitle 2 - COURTS AND COURT OFFICERS (§§ 16-10-101 — 16-24-101) › Chapter 17 - DISTRICT COURTS (§§ 16-17-101 — 16-17-1203) › Subchapter 11 - PILOT STATE DISTRICT COURTS (§§ 16-17-1101 — 16-17-1116) › Section 16-17-1113 - Reorganization of local district courts to state district courts as of January 1, 2021

(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. shall be reorganized as state district courts and served by state district court judges as assigned.
(2)
The new state district court judgeships created by this section shall become effective January 1, 2021, and shall be placed on the ballot to be elected in the 2020 nonpartisan judicial election from the newly constructed state district court district.
(3)
The cities and counties that were previously served by local district courts and will be served by state district courts shall comply with the cost-sharing requirements established in §
16-17-1106
, effective January 1, 2021.
(b)
(1)
The Seventh Judicial District shall be composed of the counties of Franklin and Johnson.
(2)
The Seventh District shall have six (6) departments as follows:
(A)
One (1) located in Charleston;
(B)
One (1) located in Ozark;
(C)
One (1) located in Altus;
(D)
One (1) located in Clarksville;
(E)
One (1) located in Coal Hill; and
(F)
One (1) located in Lamar.
(3)
The Seventh Judicial District shall be served by one (1) state district court judge.
(4)
The Seventh Judicial District judge shall be elected districtwide.
(5)
The Seventh Judicial District court shall have districtwide jurisdiction.
(c)
(1)
The Eleventh Judicial District shall be composed of the counties of Randolph, Sharp, and Lawrence.
(2)
The Eleventh District shall have seven (7) departments as follows:
(A)
One (1) located in Pocahontas;
(B)
One (1) located in Ash Flat;
(C)
One (1) located in Cherokee Village;
(D)
One (1) located in Walnut Ridge;
(E)
One (1) located in Hoxie;
(F)
One (1) located in Black Rock; and
(G)
One (1) located in Portia.
(3)
The Eleventh Judicial District shall be served by two (2) state district court judges.
(4)
The Eleventh Judicial District judges shall be elected districtwide.
(5)
The Eleventh Judicial District courts shall have districtwide jurisdiction.
(d)
(1)
The Twelfth Judicial District shall be composed of the counties of Logan, Yell, and Conway.
(2)
The Twelfth District shall have nine (9) departments as follows:
(A)
One (1) located in Morrilton;
(B)
One (1) located in Menifee;
(C)
One (1) located in Oppelo;
(D)
One (1) located in Paris;
(E)
One (1) located in Booneville;
(F)
One (1) located in Magazine;
(G)
One (1) located in Danville;
(H)
One (1) located in Plumerville; and
(I)
One (1) located in Dardanelle.
(3)
The Twelfth Judicial District shall be served by one (1) state district court judge.
(4)
The Twelfth Judicial District judge shall be elected districtwide.
(5)
The Twelfth Judicial District court shall have districtwide jurisdiction.
(e)
[Repealed.]
(f)
[Repealed.]
(g)
(1)
The Fifteenth Judicial District shall be composed of the counties of Jackson and Woodruff.
(2)
The Fifteenth District shall have eight (8) departments as follows:
(A)
One (1) located in Newport;
(B)
One (1) located in Diaz;
(C)
One (1) located in Swifton;
(D)
One (1) located in Tuckerman;
(E)
One (1) located in Augusta;
(F)
One (1) located in Cotton Plant;
(G)
One (1) located in McCrory; and
(H)
One (1) located in Patterson.
(3)
The Fifteenth Judicial District shall be served by one (1) state district court judge.
(4)
The Fifteenth Judicial District judge shall be elected districtwide.
(5)
The Fifteenth Judicial District court shall have districtwide jurisdiction.
(h)
[Repealed.]
(i)
(1)
The Seventeenth District is composed of the counties of Clay and Greene.
(2)
The Seventeenth District has five (5) departments as follows:
(A)
One (1) located in Paragould;
(B)
One (1) located in Marmaduke;
(C)
One (1) located in Corning;
(D)
One (1) located in Piggott; and
(E)
One (1) located in Rector.
(3)
The Seventeenth District is served by one (1) state district court judge.
(4)
The Seventeenth District judge is elected districtwide.
(5)
The Seventeenth District court has districtwide jurisdiction.
(j)
(1)
The Twenty-Fourth Judicial District shall be composed of the counties of Scott, Polk, and Montgomery.
(2)
The Twenty-Fourth Judicial District shall have three (3) departments as follows:
(A)
One (1) located in Waldron;
(B)
One (1) located in Mena; and
(C)
One (1) located in Mt. Ida.
(3)
The Twenty-Fourth Judicial District shall be served by one (1) state district court judge.
(4)
The Twenty-Fourth Judicial District judge shall be elected districtwide.
(5)
The Twenty-Fourth Judicial District court shall have districtwide jurisdiction.
(k)
(1)
The Twenty-Fifth District is composed of the counties of St. Francis and Cross.
(2)
The Twenty-Fifth District has six (6) departments as follows:
(A)
One (1) located in Forrest City;
(B)
One (1) located in Madison;
(C)
One (1) located in Palestine;
(D)
One (1) located in Wynne;
(E)
One (1) located in Cherry Valley; and
(F)
One (1) located in Parkin.
(3)
The Twenty-Fifth District is served by two (2) state district court judges.
(4)
The Twenty-Fifth District judges are elected districtwide.
(5)
The Twenty-Fifth District courts have districtwide jurisdiction.
(l)
(1)
The Thirtieth District shall be composed of Lonoke County.
(2)
The Thirtieth District shall have six (6) departments as follows:
(A)
One (1) located in Cabot;
(B)
One (1) located in Ward;
(C)
One (1) located in Austin;
(D)
One (1) located in Lonoke;
(E)
One (1) located in England; and
(F)
One (1) located in Carlisle.
(3)
The Thirtieth District shall be served by two (2) state district court judges.
(4)
The Thirtieth District court judges shall be elected districtwide.
(5)
The Thirtieth District courts shall have districtwide jurisdiction.
(m)
(1)
The Thirty-First District is composed of the counties of Pulaski and Perry.
(2)
The Thirty-First District has twelve (12) departments as follows:
(A)
One (1) located in Jacksonville, to be known as "Jacksonville District Court";
(B)
Four (4) located in Little Rock, to be known as:
(i)
"Little Rock District Court - First Division";
(ii)
"Little Rock District Court - Second Division";
(iii)
"Little Rock District Court - Third Division"; and
(iv)
"Pulaski County District Court";
(C)
One (1) located in Maumelle, to be known as "Maumelle District Court";
(D)
Two (2) located in North Little Rock, to be known as:
(i)
"North Little Rock District Court - First Division"; and
(ii)
"North Little Rock District Court - Second Division";
(E)
One (1) located in Sherwood, to be known as "Sherwood District Court";
(F)
One (1) located in Wrightsville, to be known as "Wrightsville District Court";
(G)
One (1) located in Cammack Village, to be known as "Cammack Village District Court"; and
(H)
One (1) located in Perryville, to be known as "Perryville District Court".
(3)
The Thirty-First District shall be served by eight (8) state district judges. All the following judges shall be elected districtwide and shall have districtwide jurisdiction:
(A)
The Jacksonville District Court and the Maumelle District Court shall be served by one (1) judge;
(B)
The Little Rock District Court - First Division shall be served by one (1) judge;
(C)
The Little Rock District Court - Second Division shall be served by one (1) judge;
(D)
The Little Rock District Court - Third Division, the Wrightsville District Court, and the Cammack Village District Court shall be served by one (1) judge;
(E)
The North Little Rock District Court - First Division shall be served by one (1) judge;
(F)
The North Little Rock District Court - Second Division shall be served by one (1) judge;
(G)
The Pulaski County District Court shall be served by one (1) judge;
(H)
The Sherwood District Court shall be served by one (1) judge; and
(I)
The Perryville District Court shall be served by one (1) of the district court judges listed under subdivisions (m)(3)(A)-(H) of this section.
(n)
(1)
The Thirty-Ninth Judicial District shall be composed of the counties of Ouachita and Columbia.
(2)
The Thirty-Ninth Judicial District shall have seven (7) departments as follows:
(A)
One (1) located in Magnolia;
(B)
One (1) located in Waldo;
(C)
One (1) located in Camden;
(D)
One (1) located in East Camden;
(E)
One (1) located in Bearden;
(F)
One (1) located in Chidester; and
(G)
One (1) located in Stephens.
(3)
The Thirty-Ninth Judicial District shall be served by one (1) state district court judge.
(4)
The Thirty-Ninth Judicial District judge shall be elected districtwide.
(5)
The Thirty-Ninth Judicial District court shall have districtwide jurisdiction.
(o)
(1)
The Forty-First Judicial District shall be composed of Garland County.
(2)
The Forty-First Judicial District shall have one (1) department located in Hot Springs.
(3)
(A)
(i)
The Forty-First Judicial District shall be served by two (2) state district court judges.
(ii)
One (1) judgeship shall be designated as Division 1 and one (1) judgeship shall be designated as Division 2.
(B)
The assignment of judges to divisions under subdivision (o)(3)(A)(ii) of this section shall be determined by mutual agreement of the state district court judges of the Forty-First Judicial District.
(4)
The Forty-First Judicial District judges shall be elected districtwide.
(5)
The Forty-First Judicial District courts shall have districtwide jurisdiction.
Amended by Act 2021, No. 825,§ 2, eff. 7/28/2021.
Amended by Act 2019, No. 909,§ 1, eff. 7/24/2019.
Amended by Act 2019, No. 868,§ 1, eff. 7/24/2019.
Amended by Act 2019, No. 868,§ 2, eff. 7/24/2019.
Amended by Act 2019, No. 814,§ 1, eff. 7/24/2019.
Amended by Act 2019, No. 935,§ 2, eff. 7/1/2019.
Added by Act 2015, No. 1081,§ 3, eff. 7/22/2015.