Arkansas Federal Court Structure at a Glance
Court Locations in Arkansas — 28 U.S.C. § 83
The district structure of Arkansas is set by statute, quoted below from 28 U.S.C. § 83:
“Arkansas is divided into two judicial districts to be known as the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas.”
Court locations under the statute:
Court for the Central Division shall be held at Little Rock.
Court for the Delta Division shall be held at Helena.
Court for the Northern Division shall be held at Jonesboro.
Court for the Texarkana Division shall be held at Texarkana, and may be held anywhere within the Federal courthouse in Texarkana that is located astride the State line between Texas and Arkansas.
Court for the El Dorado Division shall be held at El Dorado.
Court for the Fort Smith Division shall be held at Fort Smith.
Court for the Harrison Division shall be held at Harrison.
Court for the Fayetteville Division shall be held at Fayetteville.
Court for the Hot Springs Division shall be held at Hot Springs.
Federal White-Collar Cases in Arkansas
Federal fraud offenses committed in Arkansas are prosecuted in the district where the offense occurred. Jurisdiction is statutory: “The district courts of the United States shall have original jurisdiction, exclusive of the courts of the States, of all offenses against the laws of the United States.” (18 U.S.C. § 3231).
Circuit assignment is statutory as well. 28 U.S.C. § 41 provides:
“Eighth Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota.”
The Eighth Circuit hears appeals from the district courts in Arkansas. The district courts listed above maintain public websites with local rules, judge information, and case-location details; the federal court finder at uscourts.gov also covers Arkansas.
The principal federal fraud statutes — mail fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1341), wire fraud (§ 1343), and bank fraud (§ 1344) — apply in every federal district. Bank fraud carries a statutory maximum of 30 years: “shall be fined not more than $1,000,000 or imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both.” (18 U.S.C. § 1344).
This page is part of the White-Collar Case Law Research Desk reference library. Additional research notes are published as new court decisions are issued.
Primary sources
- 28 U.S.C. § 83 — Arkansas (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “Arkansas is divided into two judicial districts to be known as the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas.”
- 28 U.S.C. § 41 — Number and composition of circuits (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “Eighth Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota.”
- 18 U.S.C. § 3231 — District courts (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “The district courts of the United States shall have original jurisdiction, exclusive of the courts of the States, of all offenses against the laws of the United States.”
- 18 U.S.C. § 1344 — Bank fraud (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “shall be fined not more than $1,000,000 or imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both.”
White-Collar Federal Defense Reference by State
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