Drew County Criminal Court Cases
Drew County uses two main local court paths for criminal cases. Felony criminal cases route to Drew County Circuit Court, part of the Arkansas Circuit Court system and the Tenth Judicial Circuit. The Drew County Circuit Court kiosk page lists "Felony Criminal" as a case type at 210 South Main Street in Monticello. The Circuit Clerk is Beverly Burks, and the clerk's office is the practical custodian for circuit case files, official copies, and questions about circuit docket entries.
Most misdemeanor criminal cases filed in Drew County are heard by the 28th State District Court, commonly called Monticello District Court. The city court page lists examples such as theft of property, assault and battery, possession of marijuana, disorderly conduct, and public intoxication. It also hears traffic offenses, DWI, and Game and Fish cases. That split is the key search choice: a felony case usually belongs with the Circuit Clerk, while many misdemeanor and traffic-related criminal matters route to the district court.
Circuit vs District in Drew County
The court level changes what a searcher should ask for. Circuit court files tend to carry felony charging documents, arraignment entries, plea or trial events, orders, judgments, and sentencing. District court files tend to cover misdemeanor and traffic-level matters handled through the Monticello court office. A payment portal is not a full case file. It may help pay a fine, but it does not replace the docket, charging paper, or final disposition held by the court.
| Court | Criminal Coverage | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Drew County Circuit Court | Felony criminal and circuit-level matters | 210 South Main Street; (870) 460-6250 |
| Drew County Circuit Clerk | Circuit case files and official copies | 210 S. Main Street; drewcountycircuitclerk@yahoo.com |
| 28th State District Court | Most misdemeanors, DWI, traffic, Game and Fish | 107 East Jackson Street; (870) 367-4420 |
Searching Drew County Case Records
Use Search ARCourts first when a case number is unknown. The statewide public landing page shows participant search as a search mode, and Arkansas Judiciary support pages explain CourtConnect and Search ARCourts access. Search output can locate a case, but printed public results are not official certified records. Case-specific questions still go to the court where the case was filed.
- Open Search ARCourts and begin with participant search if no case number is known.
- Use the defendant name, spelling variants, filing year, and court filters when available.
- Check whether the case is circuit-level felony or district-level misdemeanor, traffic, DWI, or Game and Fish.
- Read the docket entries for charges, hearings, orders, plea activity, disposition, and sentencing.
- Contact the Circuit Clerk or District Court for official copies, certified records, missing files, or sealed-case questions.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search by... Participants | Search mode | Unspecified | Public landing page shows participant search. |
| Participant name | Text | Unspecified | Use defendant or party name; exact fields can load dynamically. |
| Case details | Result controls | n/a | Public print output is marked not an official court record. |
| Tips link | Help link | No | AOC provides Search ARCourts navigation tips. |
| Court contact fallback | Support link | n/a | Case-specific questions go to the filing court. |
Drew Court Source Screens
The Drew County Circuit Clerk page is the direct official source for the circuit clerk's address, phone, fax, email, and hours.
Use that office for official circuit case copies rather than relying on a portal printout as a final record.
The Search ARCourts interface is the statewide public starting point for Drew County case lookup.
Search results can narrow the court and case number before a call to the clerk.
Search ARCourts Is Not Certified
A Drew County criminal case search may locate docket data, but official use depends on the court file. Search ARCourts public print output carries a warning that it is not an official court record. That matters when a search result is missing a document, a docket note is unclear, or a copy needs certification. The right response is to contact the clerk, not to treat a public screen as the final file.
The Arkansas Judiciary CourtConnect help page explains the statewide search and support path.
The help source is useful for portal use, while Drew court staff remain the source for case-specific records.
Inside a Drew County Case File
The case file shows the court side of a criminal matter. It is different from an arrest report or a jail record. The file can include charging documents, court identity, party names, attorneys, docket events, hearings, orders, disposition, judgment, sentencing terms, and financial entries when public. A case file is also where dismissals, pleas, acquittals, convictions, and sealing orders are reflected.
| Case number and court | Identifies Drew Circuit Court or 28th State District Court and anchors the file. |
|---|---|
| Charging document | Complaint, information, indictment, or related filing that starts or amends charges. |
| Docket entries | Chronological court events such as filings, hearings, motions, orders, and judgments. |
| Disposition | Final outcome such as conviction, dismissal, acquittal, or other case resolution. |
| Sentence and conditions | Jail, prison, probation, fines, costs, restitution, or other ordered terms when public. |
| Restrictions | Sealed files, juvenile matters, victim identifiers, and confidential documents may not appear. |
Most Misdemeanors Use District Court
The 28th State District Court page is unusually clear that the majority of misdemeanor criminal cases filed in Drew County are heard there. It names misdemeanor examples and also includes traffic, DWI, and Game and Fish cases. Payment options include online payment at myfinepayment.com, phone payment at 1 (877) 591-8768, cash or money order at the clerk's office, and mailed money order payable to District Court of Drew County.
The Monticello District Court page gives the misdemeanor criminal jurisdiction, address, phone, fax, and payment options.
Payment access should not be mistaken for a full case search because the case file may contain far more than the fine balance.
How a Criminal Case Moves
A Drew County criminal matter may begin with an arrest, citation, complaint, or prosecutor-filed charge. Booking and arrest records can come first, but the court case begins when the charge is filed in the proper court. From there, the docket can show arraignment, pretrial settings, motions, plea or trial activity, disposition, sentencing, and later review or sealing activity.
Case flow: Arrest or citation › Charges filed › Arraignment › Pretrial › Plea or trial › Disposition › Sentencing
Note: If a booking appears before a court case, check again later or contact the court because filing can lag behind arrest.
Court Disposition Feeds ARCH
ARCH warns that a felony conviction will not appear unless the sentencing court provides disposition data to ACIC. That makes the court disposition the missing link between the county case file and the statewide repository. If a Drew County case appears in court but not in ARCH, the reason may be timing, reporting, sealing, dismissal, or the limits of the public repository product.
- Disposition
- The final court outcome for a charge or case.
- Information
- A prosecutor-filed charging document often used in felony cases.
- Nolle prosequi
- A prosecutor's decision to stop pursuing a charge.
- Sealing
- Arkansas court process that restricts public access to eligible records.
Case Record Access and Restrictions
Arkansas FOIA supports access to public records, and court records are generally open unless a rule, statute, order, or privacy protection restricts them. Drew County criminal case searches may omit or redact juvenile cases, sealed files, victim details, protected personal identifiers, and confidential documents. Online views may also be thinner than the paper or official electronic court file.
For older files, missing online cases, certified copies, or cases that may have been sealed, contact the court directly. The sheriff cannot issue an official court disposition, and ARCH cannot substitute for the court file. If the question is whether a charge ended in conviction, dismissal, acquittal, probation, or sentence, the court record is the controlling local source. The broader Drew County criminal history overview explains how that case file connects with jail, registry, and repository records.