Dallas County Detention Center Criminal Court Process

Last updated by Mark Miclette

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Criminal Court Process for Dallas County Arkansas

Dallas County, Arkansas: What to Expect in Criminal Court

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.

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.

Choose a charge type below to walk through the steps.

Fordyce and Sparkman misdemeanors: lower-value theft, first DWI, battery, trespass

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.

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Felonies in Fordyce: burglary, big-dollar theft, drug dealing, a fourth DWI

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.

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Violent felonies tried in Fordyce: capital murder, murder, rape, aggravated robbery

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.

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Dallas County court addresses and phones

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.

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Federal cases that start in Dallas County

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.

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ICE detainers and where Dallas County detainees end up

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.

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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.

Call the circuit clerk at 870-352-2307 to 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).

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Every detail on this page is checked by hand, not scraped. This unofficial directory helps friends and family of incarcerated individuals find critical information — inmate lists, locations, bail resources, visitation hours, rules, and text, phone, email, and mail services — for jails, detention centers, and prisons across the United States.