Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
1 State of Arkansas
2 93rd General Assembly A Bill
3 Regular Session, 2021 HOUSE BILL 1225
4
5 By: Representative Tollett
6
7 For An Act To Be Entitled
8 AN ACT CONCERNING THE REORGANIZATION OF THE STATE
9 DISTRICT COURT SYSTEM; CONCERNING THE CURRENT
10 FIFTEENTH AND SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICTS; AND FOR
11 OTHER PURPOSES.
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13
14 Subtitle
15 CONCERNING THE REORGANIZATION OF THE
16 STATE DISTRICT COURT SYSTEM; AND
17 CONCERNING THE CURRENT FIFTEENTH AND
18 SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICTS.
19
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21 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
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23 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code 16-17-1113(g), concerning the Fifteenth
24 Judicial District, is repealed as of December 31, 2024.
25 (g)(1) The Fifteenth Judicial District shall be composed of the
26 counties of Jackson and Woodruff.
27 (2) The Fifteenth District shall have eight (8) departments as
28 follows:
29 (A) One (1) located in Newport;
30 (B) One (1) located in Diaz;
31 (C) One (1) located in Swifton;
32 (D) One (1) located in Tuckerman;
33 (E) One (1) located in Augusta;
34 (F) One (1) located in Cotton Plant;
35 (G) One (1) located in McCrory; and
36 (H) One (1) located in Patterson.
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1 (3) The Fifteenth Judicial District shall be served by one (1)
2 state district court judge.
3 (4) The Fifteenth Judicial District judge shall be elected
4 districtwide.
5 (5) The Fifteenth Judicial District court shall have
6 districtwide jurisdiction.
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8 SECTION 2. Arkansas Code 16-17-1115 is amended to read as follows:
9 16-17-1115. Reorganization of local district courts to state district
10 courts as of January 1, 2025.
11 (a)(1) Beginning January 1, 2025, the following cities and counties,
12 currently being served by a local district court under 16-17-901 et seq.
13 shall be reorganized as a state district court district and served by state
14 district court judges as assigned.
15 (2) The new state district court judgeship created by this
16 section shall become effective January 1, 2025, and shall be placed on the
17 ballot to be elected in the 2024 nonpartisan judicial election from the newly
18 constructed state district court district.
19 (3) The cities and counties that were previously served by local
20 district courts and will be served by state district courts shall comply with
21 the cost-sharing requirements established in 16-17-1106, effective January
22 1, 2025.
23 (b)(1) The Thirteenth Judicial District is composed of the counties of
24 Stone and Cleburne.
25 (2) The Thirteenth Judicial District has five (5) departments as
26 follows:
27 (A) One (1) located in Heber Springs;
28 (B) One (1) located in Greers Ferry;
29 (C) One (1) located in Concord;
30 (D) One (1) located in Quitman; and
31 (E) One (1) located in Mountain View.
32 (3) The Thirteenth Judicial District is served by one (1) state
33 district court judge.
34 (4) The Thirteenth Judicial District judge is elected
35 districtwide.
36 (5) The Thirteenth Judicial District court has districtwide
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1 jurisdiction.
2 (c)(1) The Fifteenth Judicial District shall be composed of Jackson
3 County.
4 (2) The Fifteenth Judicial District shall have four (4)
5 departments as follows:
6 (A) One (1) located in Newport;
7 (B) One (1) located in Diaz;
8 (C) One (1) located in Swifton; and
9 (D) One (1) located in Tuckerman.
10 (3) The Fifteenth Judicial District shall be served by one (1)
11 state district court judge.
12 (4) The Fifteenth Judicial District judge shall be elected
13 districtwide.
14 (5) The Fifteenth Judicial District court shall have
15 districtwide jurisdiction.
16 (c)(1)(d)(1) The Sixteenth Judicial District shall be composed of the
17 counties of Monroe and Arkansas County.
18 (2) The Sixteenth Judicial District shall have seven (7) four
19 (4) departments as follows:
20 (A) One (1) located in Stuttgart;
21 (B) One (1) located in De Witt;
22 (C) One (1) located in Gillett; and
23 (D) One (1) located in St. Charles;
24 (E) One (1) located in Brinkley;
25 (F) One (1) located in Clarendon; and
26 (G) One (1) located in Holly Grove.
27 (3) The Sixteenth Judicial District shall be served by one (1)
28 state district court judge.
29 (4) The Sixteenth Judicial District judge shall be elected
30 districtwide.
31 (5) The Sixteenth Judicial District court shall have
32 districtwide jurisdiction.
33 (e)(1) The Forty-Second Judicial District is composed of the counties
34 of Monroe and Woodruff.
35 (2) The Forty-Second Judicial District shall have seven (7)
36 departments as follows:
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1 (A) One (1) located in Brinkley;
2 (B) One (1) located in Clarendon;
3 (C) One (1) located in Holly Grove;
4 (D) One (1) located in Augusta;
5 (E) One (1) located in Cotton Plant;
6 (F) One (1) located in McCrory; and
7 (G) One (1) located in Patterson.
8 (3) The Forty-Second Judicial District shall be served by one
9 (1) state district court judge.
10 (4) The Forty-Second Judicial District judge shall be elected
11 districtwide.
12 (5) The Forty-Second Judicial District court shall have
13 districtwide jurisdiction.
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Statutes affected:
HB 1225: 16-17-1113(g)