Statutes & Court Rules

Arkansas Code

Type of Resource: State Laws

The Arkansas Code is a big collection of laws made by the Arkansas Legislature. These laws cover many everyday issues, like crimes, marriage, divorce, child custody, and more.

Judges can explain how these laws work through their written decisions. The Arkansas Constitution and the U.S. Constitution also affect how these laws are used in court.

Arkansas Constitution

Type of Resource: State Constitution

The Arkansas Constitution is the highest form of law in Arkansas. All laws made by the Arkansas Legislature must follow the rules in this constitution.

To fully understand what the Arkansas Constitution means, you also have to look at the decisions made by the Arkansas Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court, because judges explain how the constitution works in real cases.

U.S. Constitution

Type of Resource: Federal Constitution

The U.S. Constitution is the highest law in the country. All federal laws and all state laws must follow the rules in this constitution.

To understand what the U.S. Constitution means, you also need to look at decisions made by the U.S. Supreme Court and, in some cases, the Arkansas Supreme Court. Judges use real cases to explain how the constitution should be applied.

Arkansas Rules of Civil Procedure

Type of Resource: Court Rules for Civil Cases

The Arkansas Rules of Civil Procedure explain how non-criminal cases move through the court system. These rules tell you how to format and file your documents, how to notify the other party about what is happening in your case, and how to get information from the other side.

They also explain how to ask the court for things like a filing fee waiver and other important steps in a civil case.

Arkansas Rules of Evidence

Type of Resource: Rules About Evidence

The Arkansas Rules of Evidence explain what information a court is allowed to look at when deciding a case. These rules help judges decide what evidence is allowed and what is not.

They apply in both civil cases and criminal cases.

District Court Rules

Type of Resource: Civil Court Rules for District Court

The Arkansas District Court Rules explain how civil (non-criminal) cases move through district court. These rules tell you how to format and file your documents, how to notify the other party about what is happening in your case, and how to appeal to circuit court if needed.

Some common civil cases heard in district court include small claims, debt collection cases, landlord and tenant issues, and simple contract disputes.

Note: District court does not handle divorces, custody cases, adoption, guardianships, or other family law matters.