The Arkansas Circuit Courts are the
state
State most commonly refers to:
* State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory
**Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country
**Nation state, a ...
trial court
A trial court or court of first instance is a court having original jurisdiction, in which trials take place. Appeals from the decisions of trial courts are usually heard by higher courts with the power of appellate review (appellate courts). ...
s of
general jurisdiction A court of general jurisdiction, in the law of the United States, is a court with authority to hear cases in law and in Equity (law), equity of all kinds – criminal law, criminal, civil law (common law), civil, family law, family, probate, and oth ...
of the
state
State most commonly refers to:
* State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory
**Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country
**Nation state, a ...
of
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...
.
Composition
There are 23 numbered judicial circuits; however, five circuits are split, resulting in 28 judicial circuits. Each has five divisions:
criminal
In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definiti ...
,
civil
Civil may refer to:
*Civility, orderly behavior and politeness
*Civic virtue, the cultivation of habits important for the success of a society
*Civil (journalism)
''The Colorado Sun'' is an online news outlet based in Denver, Colorado. It lau ...
,
probate
In common law jurisdictions, probate is the judicial process whereby a will is "proved" in a court of law and accepted as a valid public document that is the true last testament of the deceased; or whereby, in the absence of a legal will, the e ...
,
domestic relations
In the common law tradition, the law of domestic relations is a broad category that encompasses:
* divorce;
* property settlements;
* alimony, spousal support, or other maintenance;
* the establishment of Paternity (law), paternity;
* the establ ...
, and
juvenile. Each circuit covers at least one of
Arkansas's 75 counties.
All judges in Arkansas are elected in non-partisan elections. Circuit judges serve six-year terms and must be attorneys licensed to practice law in Arkansas for six years before they assume office.
List of circuits
References
External links
* David O. Bowden,
Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture
The Central Arkansas Library System (CALS) ''Encyclopedia of Arkansas'' is a web-based encyclopedia of the U.S. state of Arkansas, described by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as "a free, authoritative source of information abou ...
''State Judiciary''(updated Jan. 13, 2017), "Types of Courts" and "Current Organization."
{{Authority control
Arkansas state courts
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...