Dallas County Detention Center

Not in Fordyce. The sheriff's website says the county does not house females, so she is being held somewhere else. Call 870-352-2002 and ask which jail has her, that jail's phone number, and whether she comes back to Fordyce for court. Her charges, judge, and bond are still Dallas County matters, so the rest of this page applies; only the building changes. Also ask whether her bond is paid in Fordyce or at the place she is held.

Staff will ask for the legal name and birth date first. The sheriff's own answer to this question is simple: each bond "varies according to the nature of the offense charged," and the jail at 870-352-2002 gives the exact figure. Ask for the amount on every charge, the case number, and whether a hold is attached. Write down the name of the deputy who gave you the number.

Four. The sheriff's published answers say a person may be released on their own recognizance, through a private bonding company, on a property bond, or by paying a cash bond. Which of the four is available depends on the judge's order for that charge. Release on recognizance is a judge's decision at the first appearance, not something the jail grants on its own, so do not expect a walk-out without a hearing unless the charge is minor.

At the jail, 106 South Charlotte Street, for anyone still in custody, or at the clerk of the court once a case has been to court. Plan on a money order, a cashier's check or exact cash. The sheriff warns the lobby deposit kiosk may or may not be working, so a card is a gamble. The bail instructions for this jail also say to verify the location and payment types first. Have ID with your photo on it, and don't lose the receipt; it carries the case number.

Rule 8.1 sends an arrested person to a judge without unnecessary delay, normally inside two days and at most about three when a weekend intervenes. Dallas County District Court handles those hearings. The district clerk can name the next court date at 870-352-2332, and the jail can say whether a bond amount has already been entered.

State law (Code 17-19-301) sets the premium at 10 percent, rounded up to the next $5, with a $10 board fee and a $15 processing fee on top. For a $4,000 bond you would pay $425 and see none of it again. Licensing comes from the state's bail bond board, and a legitimate agent will show you the card. Some companies ask for collateral or a cosigner, and a search for a missing defendant is billed to the cosigner.

Property bonds appear on the sheriff's list. Arkansas Code 16-84-103 lets an in-state owner back the bond with visible property whose net value, minus debts and exemptions, is enough, using a sworn statement the sheriff signs. The judge on the case decides whether to accept it and whether land outside Dallas County qualifies. Call the clerk at 870-352-2307 to learn what this judge insists on; carry the deed and the latest tax bill.

Misdemeanors, traffic charges, and the first appearance on a felony are heard in Dallas County District Court, Fordyce, 870-352-2332. From there a felony climbs to circuit court in the 13th Judicial Circuit, and the circuit clerk at 870-352-2307 keeps that file. If the jail and a clerk give you different bond figures, the signed court order controls.

Only the arrest report. Fordyce Police are at 101 South Main Street, 870-352-2178. If Fordyce, Sparkman, or Carthage officers made the arrest, the jail desk can confirm where the person was taken. The judge sets the bond whichever agency made the arrest.

Ask, because a hold cannot be bonded. Dallas County has an Adult Probation office in Fordyce at 870-352-8404, and when probation or parole places a hold, posting the new bond won't free the person. The jail at 870-352-2002 can tell you whether a hold is on the record and which officer placed it. Only that officer or a judge can lift it.

Article 2, Section 8 of the state constitution limits outright denial of bail to capital offenses with evident proof. A judge may also detain someone arrested on a new felony while already free on felony bond. Anything else that reads "no bond" is a charge still waiting on the judge or a hold from another agency, such as another county's warrant or a federal detainer.

The 13th Judicial District public defender office in El Dorado, 870-639-3453, which covers Dallas, Calhoun, Cleveland, Columbia, Ouachita, and Union counties. Appointment is made by the judge, who acts once the person completes a sworn financial form at the first appearance. The assigned lawyer can request a lower bond, and the office will want proof of work, a home address, and relatives nearby.

Adult jails are not meant for anyone under 18. In the juvenile division, a circuit judge holds a detention hearing to decide if the child returns home or stays at a licensed juvenile detention center, which may be in another county. Juveniles do not get a bond amount. The clerk's office at 870-352-2307 holds juvenile records and can put you in touch with the juvenile officer, who knows the child's location and hearing date. Juvenile records are confidential.

It doesn't. Personal mail for inmates goes to a scanning center at P.O. Box 591, Longview, Texas; money orders for the inmate's account go to the Fordyce address or the lobby kiosk. All of that funds commissary, phone and video accounts and never reaches the court. Bond must be paid separately at the jail or to the clerk and recorded on a bond receipt.

The court orders an arrest, files a failure-to-appear charge, and opens forfeiture on the bond. Because the surety gets limited time to deliver the person, dial the district clerk at 870-352-2332 or the circuit clerk that day to ask for a new date, and bring in a lawyer. If a bondsman hunts for the person, expect the bill.

Once the case is over and the person made every hearing. The court keeps back fines, costs and restitution, then pays out the balance to the receipt holder, so make sure your name is on it if you paid. A bondsman's premium stays spent. The clerk's office can explain how the refund is issued.

The classic scam: a so-called deputy or bondsman calls and demands money this minute through gift cards, a wire or an app. Dallas County takes bond in person at the jail or clerk's office, and licensed agents charge a fixed 10 percent. Hang up and call 870-352-2002 yourself.

Everything felony-related runs through the courthouse in Fordyce. District court keeps two departments, one in Fordyce and one in Sparkman:

• Dallas County Circuit Court (felonies, juvenile division, district court appeals): Dallas County Courthouse, 206 West Third Street, Fordyce, AR 71742 · circuit clerk 870-352-2307
• District Court, Fordyce Department (misdemeanors, traffic, first felony hearings): mail to PO Box 672, Fordyce · 870-352-2332
• District Court, Sparkman Department: 110 E. Main Street, Sparkman, AR 71763 · 870-678-2255

Arrests in or near Sparkman can be heard in that department; the rest usually stay in Fordyce. Felony judges here also serve five other counties in the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit.

Federal defendants aren't bonded out at the Fordyce jail, and a bail bond company can't help with them. Under federal law, Dallas County cases belong to the Central Division of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, which holds court at the federal courthouse in Little Rock, 500 West Capitol Avenue, Little Rock, AR 72201, 501-604-5351. Expect roughly this sequence:

• The case opens with an agent's complaint or a grand jury indictment.
• The first hearing takes place before a U.S. magistrate judge in Little Rock.
• Pretrial Services gathers facts on work history, family and earlier arrests.
• Should prosecutors ask for jail until trial, the magistrate holds a detention hearing soon after.
• Anyone released follows conditions set by the federal court, often including regular check-ins.

The U.S. Marshals control where federal detainees are housed. You can reach them at U.S. Marshals Service, 600 West Capitol Avenue, Little Rock, AR 72201, 501-324-6256.

There is. ICE may send a detainer under 8 CFR 287.7, asking the jail for notice and for up to 48 extra hours of custody, weekends and holidays included. Arkansas has no law blocking jails from going along with that.

Even after ICE has the person, the Dallas County charge is still pending and court dates still matter. The ICE New Orleans Field Office, 181 James Drive W, St. Rose, LA 70087, 504-318-2360 covers Arkansas, and many people it detains from this state are taken to Louisiana, including:

• LaSalle ICE Processing Center: 830 Pinehill Road, Jena, LA 71342 · 318-992-1600
• Pine Prairie ICE Processing Center: 1133 Hampton Dupre Road, Pine Prairie, LA 70576 · 337-599-2400

Once moved, the person shows up in the ICE Online Detainee Locator System (https://locator.ice.gov/odls/). An A-number plus birth country finds them fastest; a full name and birth country is the second choice.

The Fordyce jail holds men only, so women and some others are housed elsewhere from the start. Later moves can put a person in a state prison or federal custody. These tools help:

• Dallas County jail: Dallas County Inmate Search. Enter both names, then open the booking record to read charges and bond.
• VINE: VINELink (https://vinelink.vineapps.com/). With Arkansas selected, search the name. VINE says whether the person is in custody and names the jail or prison, which is handy for a woman held outside the county. Free release notices are available.
• Federal Bureau of Prisons: Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator (https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/). Enter a register number or the name with age, race and sex. Federal defendants still awaiting trial are often missing there; the Marshals at 501-324-6256 can help instead.
• Arkansas Division of Correction: Arkansas Division of Correction Inmate Search (https://apps.ark.org/inmate_info/). Searching an ADC number or last name returns the unit, a photo and the parole date.

Details on where people are held and how bond is posted can change, so phone first. The sheriff's office and jail share 870-352-2002, and the front office keeps weekday hours from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For felony settings, the circuit clerk answers at 870-352-2307. Misdemeanor dates come from district court in Fordyce at 870-352-2332 or Sparkman at 870-678-2255.

Fordyce police, the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office and Arkansas State Police troopers file most of the county’s misdemeanor cases, frequently by citation rather than arrest. A person who is jailed must be presented to a judicial officer without unnecessary delay. Arkansas procedure starts with a preference for release on recognizance and adds conditions only when they are reasonably necessary. Bail bond companies licensed by the state can post a money bond when one is required.

Misdemeanors are sorted into Class A, B and C. The maximums are one year and $2,500 for Class A, 90 days and $1,000 for Class B, and 30 days and $500 for Class C. Third-degree battery and theft of up to $1,000 are frequent Class A charges; trespass is filed as Class B or C. A first DWI brings a jail term of 24 hours to one year, a fine between $150 and $1,000 and a suspended license, and an ignition interlock is generally required for any restricted driving privilege.

In Fordyce and Sparkman, the district judge rules on guilt without jurors. Thirty days are allowed to appeal a conviction; circuit court then hears everything anew, with a jury if asked. Most cases conclude well before that point, often by plea with fines, probation or community service.

Minors charged with misdemeanors here normally appear in circuit court's juvenile division. The prosecutor may offer a first-time youth diversion, which allows the case to be closed without an adjudication once the youth completes conditions such as restitution, classes or community service. Certain traffic tickets given to teen drivers may stay in district court.

Police who arrest for a felony with no warrant need a judge to find reasonable cause in 48 hours or less. At the first appearance the court addresses the charge, bond and the defendant’s right to counsel. Someone requesting a public defender fills out a sworn financial statement, and Arkansas judges may order defendants with some means to pay toward appointed representation.

Instead of a grand jury indictment, the Thirteenth District prosecutor ordinarily files an information in circuit court to charge a felony. The defendant is arraigned in Fordyce, and the case then proceeds through discovery, plea discussions and motions. Rule 28.1 of the Arkansas Rules of Criminal Procedure requires trial within 12 months, with excluded periods such as defense-requested delays not counted. Felony trial juries have 12 members, and an Arkansas jury that convicts generally sets the punishment as well.

The felony sentencing ranges are 10 to 40 years or life for Class Y, 6 to 30 years for Class A, 5 to 20 years for Class B, 3 to 10 years for Class C and up to 6 years for Class D. Entering a residence to commit an offense is Class B residential burglary, and the commercial version is Class C. Stealing more than $1,000 worth of property makes theft a felony. Delivery penalties scale with which drug and how much, and DWI is charged as a felony once a driver reaches four in ten years. Negotiated pleas resolve most Dallas County felony cases.

For a 16- or 17-year-old, any felony can be filed by the prosecutor in either the juvenile division or adult court. At a transfer hearing the judge considers the offense, the youth’s record, how mature they are and their odds of turning around, then may move the case. Detained juveniles must have a detention hearing within 72 hours. Outcomes in juvenile court range from probation and treatment to a Division of Youth Services placement. Extended Juvenile Jurisdiction can keep a youth supervised past 18 while an adult sentence waits in the background.

The procedural steps for violent felonies match those for other felonies, but release and sentencing are much stricter. Article 2, Section 8 of the Arkansas Constitution lets a judge refuse bail in a capital case when the proof is evident or the presumption great, so someone charged with capital murder may stay in jail until trial.

Rape, aggravated robbery and first-degree murder are Class Y felonies with a 10-year minimum. Someone convicted of capital murder can only be sentenced to death or to spend the rest of their life in prison, parole off the table. Since January 1, 2025, the Protect Arkansas Act has meant full time served for capital murder, rape and aggravated robbery, plus a floor of 85% for second-degree murder. As of April 2026, 23 Arkansas men were under sentence of death. Arkansas hasn't carried out an execution since 2017; nitrogen hypoxia was approved as a method in 2025.

Crime victims in Dallas County are protected by Ark. Code 16-90-1101 and nearby sections. Those laws give victims notice of hearings, a voice with prosecutors about plea deals and release, and time to speak when sentence is set. The Thirteenth District prosecutor’s victim-witness coordinator handles these contacts.

Fourteen- and fifteen-year-olds go to adult court only for a few grave charges, among them capital or first-degree murder, rape, kidnapping, aggravated robbery, terroristic acts and first-degree battery. A judge may later return such a case to the juvenile side or mark it for Extended Juvenile Jurisdiction. Executing someone for a crime committed under 18 isn't allowed, and a 2017 state law makes a juvenile convicted of capital murder parole-eligible at 30 years.

Felonies are heard in Fordyce, and district court has a second department in Sparkman:

• Dallas County Circuit Court: Dallas County Courthouse, 206 West Third Street, Fordyce, AR 71742, circuit clerk 870-352-2307
• District Court, Fordyce Department: 870-352-2332 (mail: PO Box 672, Fordyce)
• District Court, Sparkman Department: 110 E. Main Street, Sparkman, AR 71763, 870-678-2255

Fordyce's circuit court handles felony trials, youth cases and appeals. District court gets traffic tickets, misdemeanors and each felony's opening hearing.

Pine forest covers much of Dallas County, and Fordyce, the county seat, hosts its criminal courts. The Dallas County Circuit Court hears felonies at the Dallas County Courthouse, at Third and Oak streets in Fordyce, AR 71742. Reach the Circuit Clerk at (870) 352-2307. Dallas is in the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, whose judges also sit in Calhoun, Cleveland, Columbia, Ouachita and Union counties, so criminal court days in Fordyce follow a rotating schedule. In addition to felonies, the circuit court conducts juvenile proceedings in its juvenile division and retries cases on appeal from district court.

The Dallas County District Court handles misdemeanors, traffic tickets and early appearances in felony cases. Its Fordyce department answers at (870) 352-2332, and a Sparkman department sits at 110 E. Main Street, Sparkman, AR 71763, (870) 678-2255. Felony charges and state misdemeanors are brought by the elected Prosecuting Attorney for the Thirteenth Judicial District. A defendant who cannot afford counsel may be appointed a lawyer from the Thirteenth District public defender office, part of the state system run by the Arkansas Public Defender Commission.

This summary of Fordyce’s criminal courts is general, not legal advice. Your own defense attorney is the one to ask about a specific charge, and the circuit clerk answers at (870) 352-2307 about requesting appointed counsel.

The circuit clerk at 870-352-2307 can double-check any felony hearing. Misdemeanor and traffic settings are available from the Fordyce department (870-352-2332) or the Sparkman department (870-678-2255).

Phone the sheriff's office in Fordyce at 870-352-2002; it serves warrants countywide and can confirm whether one is outstanding. For court records, Arkansas offers a statewide case search, Search ARCourts, covering circuit and many district courts. The usual way to clear a warrant is to work with a lawyer or the public defender and then report to the jail on South Charlotte Street so a judge can set bond. Felony files are managed by the Circuit Clerk, who answers at 870-352-2307.

Federal offenses from this county go to the Central Division of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, which meets at the federal courthouse in Little Rock. That court’s clerk is in Room A-149 of 600 W. Capitol Avenue, (501) 604-5351. Most local offenses are state crimes: they violate Arkansas statutes and are charged by the district prosecutor in Fordyce. Something turns federal when Congress has outlawed it, usually because the conduct spans states or harms something federal. Typical federal cases include drug distribution supplied from other states, firearm possession by people barred by federal law, fraud involving federal benefits or federally insured lenders, and theft of U.S. mail. Federal investigators refer those cases to the U.S. Attorney, who chooses which ones to file.

Timber theft on federal contracts, drugs and gun charges are among the federal cases that can begin here. Cases from here are heard in the Central Division of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, at the federal courthouse in Little Rock, 500 West Capitol Avenue, Little Rock, AR 72201, 501-604-5351.

• A magistrate judge hears the case first and tells the defendant the charges.
• A pretrial report on the defendant's past goes to the court.
• A detention hearing is held if the government argues against release.
• Before any felony trial, a grand jury has to return an indictment.
• Federal detainees remain with the U.S. Marshals: U.S. Marshals Service, 600 West Capitol Avenue, Little Rock, AR 72201, 501-324-6256.

Both a state and a federal case can grow out of one arrest, and they proceed independently.

• Dallas County jail: Dallas County Inmate Search. Search by last name for charges and booking date.
• VINE: VINELink (https://vinelink.vineapps.com/). An Arkansas name search shows the holding facility, useful since women are housed out of county. Alerts are free.
• Federal Bureau of Prisons: Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator (https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/). Federal prisoners are listed by name or register number.
• Arkansas Division of Correction: Arkansas Division of Correction Inmate Search (https://apps.ark.org/inmate_info/). A name or ADC number shows the prison unit.

Through a detainer, ICE asks the jail to keep someone up to 48 hours after release, counting weekends and holidays. The Fordyce case is unaffected.

The ICE New Orleans Field Office, 181 James Drive W, St. Rose, LA 70087, 504-318-2360 oversees Arkansas, and detainees are often moved to Louisiana:

• LaSalle ICE Processing Center: 830 Pinehill Road, Jena, LA 71342 · 318-992-1600
• Pine Prairie ICE Processing Center: 1133 Hampton Dupre Road, Pine Prairie, LA 70576 · 337-599-2400

The ICE Online Detainee Locator System (https://locator.ice.gov/odls/) searches by A-number, or by a full name paired with birth country.