Hot Springs police, Garland County deputies and state troopers either cite people for minor offenses or book them at the Garland County Detention Center on Albert Pike Road, a jail that includes its own courtroom. Under Ark. R. Crim. P. 8.1, people under arrest go before a judge promptly. Garland County arrests made without a warrant get judicial review for probable cause inside 48 hours. Bail is a right under the state constitution, apart from capital charges with evident proof (art. 2, § 8), and under Rule 9.1 a judge weighs a release promise or conditions ahead of any cash bond. A bondsman licensed by the state’s bail bond board will typically charge a 10% premium that is not returned.

Arkansas misdemeanor classes set the maximum punishment. Class A misdemeanors, a category that includes shoplifting or other theft of property worth $1,000 or less and third-degree battery, are capped at 12 months behind bars, with fines reaching $2,500. Class B means up to 90 days and $1,000; Class C means up to 30 days and $500, and trespass charges are usually one of these. A first DWI has its own statutory penalties: 24 hours to one year in jail or community service instead, fines, a suspended license, an ignition interlock and a required alcohol program. District court trials have no jury; the judge rules on guilt. The defendant may appeal within 30 days to the circuit court, which tries the case again from the start and can impanel a jury.

Under 18: Juveniles accused of misdemeanors are handled by the juvenile court on Ouachita Avenue instead of district court, and Arkansas law bars charging misdemeanor conduct by a minor as an adult offense (Ark. Code § 9-27-318). The court’s juvenile officers screen referrals, and many first cases end in diversion, counseling or a short probation. Certain juvenile traffic matters can go to district court. Any youth detained after arrest must have a detention hearing, generally within 72 hours. The public defender’s office represents children in delinquency cases when the family qualifies.

Garland County felonies usually begin with a district court appearance, where the judge confirms probable cause and sets bond. The prosecuting attorney’s office then puts the charges in a felony information for circuit court. That is how Arkansas brings felony charges; grand juries are seldom used. The case goes to one of the four circuit divisions for arraignment, discovery and plea negotiations. Courts may assess a public defender fee depending on the defendant’s finances (Ark. Code § 16-87-213).

Felony classes determine the prison range. Residential burglary is Class B (5 to 20 years) and commercial burglary Class C (3 to 10 years). Theft turns into a Class D felony, with a maximum of 6 years, once the property is worth more than $1,000; it becomes Class C above $5,000 and Class B at $25,000. Delivering a controlled substance is ranked by which drug and what quantity, and it can rise to Class Y, which means 10 to 40 years or life, for large amounts. A fourth DWI in 10 years becomes a felony. Rule 28.1 generally requires trial within 12 months, excluding delays the defense requests. Circuit court trials use 12 jurors, who also recommend the sentence. Plea agreements resolve most cases, and Garland County’s specialty courts, such as drug court, give some defendants a treatment-based alternative.

Under 18: If a 16- or 17-year-old is accused of any felony, the 18th East prosecutor can choose between the juvenile court and the adult criminal division. A transfer hearing may be requested by either side, and the judge will move the case only on clear and convincing evidence after weighing factors like the seriousness of the offense, prior history, maturity and the availability of rehabilitation services. A juvenile judge may choose probation, restitution, treatment or placement with the Division of Youth Services, It may also label the case Extended Juvenile Jurisdiction, keeping an adult sentence on hold.

Violent felony prosecutions in Hot Springs go through the same circuit courts, but defendants are far more likely to stay jailed until trial. Bail may be refused in a capital case where the proof is evident or the presumption great, and courts often impose high bonds and no-contact orders in other violent cases. The punishment for capital murder in Arkansas is death or life without parole. Class Y covers first-degree murder, rape and aggravated robbery (10 to 40 years or life). Second-degree murder is Class A, carrying 6 to 30 years.

For crimes committed on or after January 1, 2025, the Protect Arkansas Act (Act 659 of 2023) took away early release on the most serious charges (capital murder, rape and aggravated robbery are three) and set an 85% minimum for second-degree murder, manslaughter and first-degree sexual assault. The state had 23 men on death row in April 2026. Its last execution was carried out in 2017, and a 2025 law made nitrogen hypoxia an approved method in addition to lethal injection.

Victims in Garland County cases have rights under Ark. Code § 16-90-1101 et seq., such as being told about hearings, speaking at sentencing and seeking restitution. The prosecutor’s victim-witness unit is the main point of contact. When a violent felony goes to trial, a year or more may pass before the verdict.

Under 18: A 14- or 15-year-old can be charged in adult court only for certain listed crimes, among them capital murder, first-degree murder, rape, kidnapping and aggravated robbery, while any felony qualifies for a 16- or 17-year-old. Either side may seek a transfer hearing. Juveniles, meaning anyone younger than 18 on the date of the crime, can never face execution. Also, Arkansas’s Fair Sentencing of Minors Act of 2017 ended life without parole for juveniles, setting parole eligibility after 30 years for capital murder. In juvenile court, the most serious outcomes are commitment to the Division of Youth Services or Extended Juvenile Jurisdiction, which can keep the youth under court authority until 21.

Every state court in the county sits on Ouachita Avenue in downtown Hot Springs:

• Garland County Circuit Court: Garland County Courthouse, 501 Ouachita Avenue, Hot Springs, AR 71901, circuit clerk (Suite 207) 501-622-3630
• Garland County Juvenile Court: 607 Ouachita Avenue, Hot Springs, AR 71901, 501-622-3772
• Garland County District Court: 607 Ouachita Avenue, Room 150, Hot Springs, AR 71901, 501-321-6765
• Prosecuting Attorney, 18th East District: 501-622-3720
• Public Defender, 18th East District: 415 Ouachita Avenue, Suite A, Hot Springs, AR 71901, 501-624-6122

District court has two divisions. Between them they cover traffic, misdemeanors and the opening stage of felonies, while circuit judges take felony trials and district court appeals.

Garland County is unusual in Arkansas because no other county shares its circuit, the 18th East Judicial Circuit. Four circuit judges serve the county from downtown Hot Springs. Felony trials and appeals from district court are heard at the Garland County Courthouse, 501 Ouachita Avenue, Hot Springs, AR 71901, and the juvenile court operates next door at 607 Ouachita Avenue, (501) 622-3772. The Circuit Clerk’s office, in Suite 207 of the courthouse, can be reached at (501) 622-3630. Families can also read our inmate search guide.

The Garland County District Court, at 607 Ouachita Avenue, Room 150, Hot Springs, AR 71901, (501) 321-6765, has two divisions and handles misdemeanors and traffic cases from Hot Springs and the rest of the county, along with first appearances and felony bond hearings. The Prosecuting Attorney for the 18th East Judicial District, elected by Garland County voters, prosecutes felonies and state misdemeanors from the courthouse at 501 Ouachita; call (501) 622-3720. The state-funded public defender office for the 18th East District is at 415 Ouachita Avenue, Suite A, Hot Springs, AR 71901, (501) 624-6122; the presiding judge decides eligibility after the defendant signs a sworn statement of inability to hire a lawyer.

Treat this overview of Garland County criminal cases as background, not legal advice. For advice about your own charges, see a defense lawyer or phone the 18th East public defender at (501) 624-6122.

The circuit clerk at 501-622-3630 can confirm a felony court date before you go downtown. District court, 501-321-6765, confirms misdemeanor and traffic dates, and juvenile court is at 501-622-3772.

The sheriff's office in Hot Springs handles warrant service across the county, and the main line at 501-622-3660 can route you to someone who can check a name. Search ARCourts, the judiciary's statewide lookup, shows open circuit and lower-court cases as well. If you learn a warrant is out, a defense lawyer can usually arrange a surrender at the jail facility on Albert Pike Road with bond already set, which is far less stressful than an unexpected arrest. The Circuit Clerk handles felony files at 501-622-3630.

Unlike most Arkansas counties, Garland also has a federal courthouse within its borders. The county is part of the Hot Springs Division of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, which uses the U.S. Courthouse at 100 Reserve Street, Hot Springs, AR 71901. The clerk’s office in that building is not staffed full time, so questions go to the district’s central number, (833) 853-0345. A state crime is one defined by the Arkansas legislature, such as theft, domestic battery or drug possession, and is prosecuted in the Ouachita Avenue courts. A federal crime is one Congress has defined, and the U.S. Attorney’s office handles it. Garland County has more federal land than most: offenses inside Hot Springs National Park or the Ouachita National Forest can be federal cases, as can bank robbery, interstate drug trafficking, wire fraud, child exploitation and illegal possession of a firearm by a felon. Tribal courts play no part, since Arkansas has no reservations. Choose a topic below.

Federal prosecutions from Garland County stay in town. The Hot Springs Division of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansashandles them at the federal courthouse in Hot Springs, 100 Reserve Street, Hot Springs, AR 71901, 833-853-0345.

• First comes an initial appearance, where a magistrate judge covers the charges and rights.
• Next, a pretrial services officer gathers background for the judge.
• When prosecutors seek custody, the court holds a detention hearing.
• A felony moves to trial only after a grand jury indicts.
• Defendants kept in custody are held by the U.S. Marshals: U.S. Marshals Service, 30 South 6th Street, Fort Smith, AR 72901, 479-289-7470 or 479-424-5000 (call either).

Crimes in Hot Springs National Park or the Ouachita National Forest are among the cases that can land here. A state case over the same events may run alongside the federal one.

• Garland County Detention Center: Garland County Inmate Search. A surname search lists bookings and charges.
• VINE: VINELink (https://vinelink.vineapps.com/). Choose Arkansas and enter a name to learn which facility holds the person. Alerts are free.
• Federal Bureau of Prisons: Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator (https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/). Search with a register number or a name.
• Arkansas Division of Correction: Arkansas Division of Correction Inmate Search (https://apps.ark.org/inmate_info/). A name or ADC number shows the state prison unit.

ICE may ask the detention center to keep someone up to 48 hours beyond release. Weekends and holidays are counted in those 48 hours. The county case continues whatever ICE does.

The ICE New Orleans Field Office, 181 James Drive W, St. Rose, LA 70087, 504-318-2360 runs enforcement for Arkansas, and Garland County detainees are frequently 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/) lists detainees. Search with an A-number, or a name plus country of birth.