Skip to main content
Find a Lawyer

Arkansas Code Title 16. Practice, Procedure, and Courts § 16-88-101. Jurisdiction of courts for certain offenses generally

Current as of March 28, 2024 | Updated by Findlaw Staff

(a) The jurisdiction of the various courts of this state for the trial of offenses shall be as follows:

(1) The Senate shall have exclusive jurisdiction of impeachment;

(2) The Supreme Court shall have general supervision and control over all inferior courts in criminal cases;

(3) The circuit court shall have original jurisdiction, exclusive of the district court, for the trial of offenses defined as felonies by state law and shall have original jurisdiction concurrent with the district court for the trial of offenses defined as misdemeanors by state law; and

(4) The district court shall have original jurisdiction, exclusive of the circuit court, for the trial of violations of ordinances of any town, city, or county within the territorial jurisdiction of the district court and shall have original jurisdiction concurrent with the circuit court for the trial of offenses defined as misdemeanors and violations by state law and committed within the territorial jurisdiction of the district court.

(b) Where an indictment is found in the circuit court for an offense within its jurisdiction, the circuit court shall have jurisdiction of all the degrees of the offense and of all the offenses included in the one (1) charge, although some of those degrees or included offenses are within the exclusive jurisdiction of the district court.

(c) A district court may issue arrest warrants and search warrants and may perform other pretrial functions, as authorized by the Arkansas Rules of Criminal Procedure, in the prosecution of a person for an offense within the exclusive jurisdiction of the circuit court.

Previous Part of Code Next Part of Code
Back to Chapter List

Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Arkansas Code Title 16. Practice, Procedure, and Courts § 16-88-101. Jurisdiction of courts for certain offenses generally - last updated March 28, 2024 | https://codes.findlaw.com/ar/title-16-practice-procedure-and-courts/ar-code-sect-16-88-101/

FindLaw Codes may not reflect the most recent version of the law in your jurisdiction. Please verify the status of the code you are researching with the state legislature before relying on it for your legal needs.

Was this helpful?

Welcome to FindLaw's Cases & Codes

A free source of state and federal court opinions, state laws, and the United States Code. For more information about the legal concepts addressed by these cases and statutes, visit FindLaw’s Learn About the Law.

Go to Learn About the Law

Latest Blog Posts

For Legal Professionals

Learn About The Law

Get help with your legal needs

FindLaw’s Learn About the Law features thousands of informational articles to help you understand your options. And if you’re ready to hire an attorney, find one in your area who can help.

Go to Learn About the Law

Need to Find an Attorney?

Search our directory by legal issue

Enter information in one or both fields (Required)

Copied to clipboard