Desha County Jail Criminal Court Process

Last updated by Mark Miclette

Search for an Inmate or Active Arrest Warrant in Desha County

Criminal Court Process for Desha County Arkansas

Navigating a Criminal Case in Desha County

Desha County lies in the southeast Arkansas Delta where the Arkansas and White rivers meet the Mississippi. Its county seat, Arkansas City, is a small river town, while McGehee and Dumas are the county’s largest communities. Felony cases are tried by the Desha County Circuit Court at the Desha County Courthouse in Arkansas City, AR 71630 (mailing address P.O. Box 309), and the Circuit Clerk’s office is reached at (870) 222-0930. Desha is one of five counties in the Tenth Judicial Circuit, along with Ashley, Bradley, Chicot and Drew. Circuit court has every felony, doubles as juvenile court and gives appealed district court cases a second full trial.

Misdemeanors, traffic offenses and initial felony hearings are handled by the Desha County District Court, which holds court in Dumas and McGehee; the district judge’s office can be reached at (870) 382-6972. The elected Prosecuting Attorney for the Tenth Judicial District prosecutes felonies and state misdemeanors throughout the five-county district. Anyone too poor to hire counsel may be given a lawyer from the Tenth District public defenders, whom the state pays through its Public Defender Commission.

Desha County is in the Delta Division of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas. That division holds court in Helena-West Helena, while clerk services are handled in Little Rock, at federal courthouse in Little Rock, where the office is in Room A-149 of 600 W. Capitol Avenue, (501) 604-5351. How do you tell a federal crime from a state one? State crimes are violations of Arkansas law, prosecuted by the Tenth District prosecutor in Desha County’s courts. Federal crimes are violations of laws Congress has passed, and they are charged by the U.S. Attorney when the conduct has a national or interstate connection. In Desha County that can include drug trafficking that moves through the region from other states, firearms violations by prohibited people, fraud in federal farm subsidy or benefit programs, and poaching or other offenses on federal land in the White River National Wildlife Refuge. Some conduct violates both sets of laws and can be prosecuted in either system.

Each charge type below opens a short walk-through.

Dumas and McGehee misdemeanors: theft below $1,000, first DWI, battery, trespass

Dumas and McGehee police, deputies and state troopers bring most misdemeanors, often by handing out a ticket with a date on it. Anyone held in custody gets taken to a judge promptly. Arkansas rules favor releasing defendants on their own recognizance, imposing conditions or bond only when they are needed to secure an appearance or protect the public. Bonds can be posted through a state-licensed professional bail bond company.

The punishment for a misdemeanor in Arkansas depends on its class. Maximums run 12 months and $2,500 for Class A, 90 days and $1,000 for Class B, and 30 days and $500 for Class C. Class A covers third-degree battery and theft up to $1,000, and trespass falls in B or C. First-time DWI drivers face anywhere from 24 hours to 12 months locked up, $150 to $1,000 in fines and a suspension; a restricted license typically means an interlock.

Misdemeanor trials in district court are heard by the judge with no jury. Within 30 days a convicted person can appeal to circuit court and get a do-over trial, with a jury on request. Most cases are resolved by plea, commonly with fines, probation, community service or a suspended sentence.

Children and teens under 18 accused of misdemeanors are usually referred to the juvenile division of the Desha County Circuit Court. First-time youth offenders may be offered diversion; finishing tasks like paying victims back, counseling or service hours closes the case with no adjudication. Traffic violations by juvenile drivers may still be handled in district court.

↑ Back to the top

Desha felonies: burglary, theft over $1,000, drug sales, fourth DWI

When a felony arrest is made without a warrant, Arkansas requires a judge to decide within 48 hours whether reasonable cause supported it. At the first appearance, the court advises the defendant of the charge, sets bond and takes up the appointment of counsel. A request for a public defender comes with a sworn income form, and a judge may make someone with means cover part of the bill.

The Tenth District prosecutor generally charges felonies by filing an information in circuit court, since grand juries are rarely used in Arkansas. Arraignment is followed by discovery, plea negotiations and pretrial motions. Rule 28.1 requires that the defendant be tried within 12 months, excluding delays the rules do not count, such as continuances requested by the defense. Felony juries have 12 members, and in Arkansas the jury that returns a guilty verdict generally also recommends the sentence.

Each felony class has its own sentencing range. The top grade, Class Y, runs from 10 to 40 years or life, followed by Class A at 6 to 30 years, Class B at 5 to 20, Class C at 3 to 10, and Class D at no more than 6. Breaking into a residence with intent to commit a crime there is charged as a Class B felony; doing so at a business is Class C. Above $1,000 in value, theft is a felony. Drug delivery punishment depends on what was sold and how much, and four DWIs within ten years make the latest one a felony. Most Desha County felony cases are resolved by plea agreement.

Arkansas permits the prosecutor to file any felony against a 16- or 17-year-old in either juvenile court or adult court. The judge can shift the case after a transfer hearing that looks at how serious it is, the youth’s history and maturity, and the chance of reform. A detained juvenile must receive a detention hearing within 72 hours. A case kept on the juvenile side can end in probation, treatment, or placement with the Division of Youth Services, which operates a residential treatment center in Dermott in neighboring Chicot County. Under Extended Juvenile Jurisdiction, supervision can continue beyond 18, and an adult sentence can be imposed if the youth breaks the rules.

↑ Back to the top

Desha’s gravest charges: murder of any degree, rape and aggravated robbery

Violent cases follow the regular felony steps in circuit court, yet release is rarer and punishments run far longer. The Arkansas Constitution guarantees bail except for capital offenses when the proof is evident or the presumption great, which means a capital murder defendant can be kept in jail with no bond set.

Class Y, the top felony class, includes rape, aggravated robbery and first-degree murder, each with a 10-year minimum. Capital murder brings either execution or life without parole. Separately, the Protect Arkansas Act says crimes from January 1, 2025 forward draw full-term sentences when the charge is rape, capital murder or aggravated robbery, and those convicted of second-degree murder must serve at least 85%. Arkansas held 23 men under death sentences in April 2026. Its last execution was carried out in 2017, and lawmakers added nitrogen hypoxia as a method in 2025.

Victims of violent crime in Desha County have rights under Ark. Code 16-90-1101 and following, including notice of hearings, the opportunity to consult with the prosecutor before a plea, and time to address the judge when sentence is decided. The Tenth District prosecutor’s victim-witness coordinator helps victims understand the process and seek restitution.

Adult charges against 14- and 15-year-olds are limited to a short list: capital murder, first-degree murder, kidnapping, rape, aggravated robbery, first-degree battery, plus any terroristic act. The defense can still seek a transfer hearing, after which a judge can move it back to the juvenile docket or into Extended Juvenile Jurisdiction. Youths who offended before age 18 are spared the death penalty, and a 2017 state law lets someone convicted of capital murder as a juvenile seek parole once 30 years have passed.

↑ Back to the top

Desha County court locations and phones

Desha has one circuit court in Arkansas City and two district court departments:

  • Desha County Circuit Court: Desha County Courthouse, Arkansas City, AR 71630, mail to P.O. Box 309; circuit clerk 870-222-0930
  • District Court, Dumas Department: 149 East Waterman Street, Dumas, AR 71639, 870-382-6972
  • District Court, McGehee Department: 2412 Highway 65 North, McGehee, AR 71654, 870-222-3859

The circuit court tries felonies, runs juvenile court and rehears appeals. Dumas and McGehee take misdemeanors, traffic and first felony appearances.

↑ Back to the top

Federal charges from Desha County

River traffic, highways and farm programs all bring federal cases here. Federal law places Desha in the Delta Division of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, at the federal courthouse in Helena, 617 Walnut Street, Helena, AR 72342 (clerk questions go to Little Rock), 501-604-5351.

  • A magistrate judge holds the first appearance and goes over the charges.
  • Pretrial Services delivers a background report on the defendant.
  • Prosecutors seeking to keep someone jailed can ask for a detention hearing.
  • Felony trials need a grand jury indictment first.
  • The U.S. Marshals keep custody of federal defendants: U.S. Marshals Service, 600 West Capitol Avenue, Little Rock, AR 72201, 501-324-6256.

One arrest may lead to state and federal charges, each with its own court and outcome.

↑ Back to the top

Searching for someone arrested in Desha County

↑ Back to the top

ICE detainers and where Desha County detainees are taken

A detainer asks the lockup to hold someone for ICE up to 48 hours after release, and weekends and holidays count. The local charge continues.

Arkansas belongs to the ICE New Orleans Field Office, 181 James Drive W, St. Rose, LA 70087, 504-318-2360, and detainees are commonly sent 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

Search the ICE Online Detainee Locator System (https://locator.ice.gov/odls/) by A-number, or by full name and birth country.

↑ Back to the top

These notes sketch how criminal cases move in Desha County; they are not legal advice. A defense attorney can help with an actual charge, or reach the circuit clerk at (870) 222-0930 about getting a public defender.

Ask the circuit clerk at 870-222-0930 to confirm a felony hearing. Misdemeanor and traffic settings come from the Dumas department (870-382-6972) or the McGehee department (870-222-3859).

Courts

DESHA COUNTY DISTRICT COURT
2412 HIGHWAY 65 N
MCGEHEE AR, 71654
870-222-3859

Search for an Inmate or Active Arrest Warrant in Desha County

Human-verified information Manually curated

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.