Browse Benton County District Courts

Benton County District Courts Overview

Arkansas District Courts exercise territorial jurisdiction within districts established by the General Assembly. Their subject-matter jurisdiction includes traffic violations, misdemeanor offenses, state-law and local-ordinance violations, preliminary felony matters, and civil matters where the amount in controversy does not exceed $25,000. Small claims divisions cover claims not exceeding $5,000, with informal trials and relaxed evidence rules. As of January 1, 2025, Arkansas had 41 District Court Judicial Districts statewide, served by 70 full-time district judges.

The Arkansas Judiciary district courts page and the district court directory list every department by judge, clerk, address, and phone. Benton County has departments in Rogers, Bentonville, Bella Vista, Pea Ridge, Cave Springs, Siloam Springs, Centerton, Little Flock, Lowell, and Gravette/Gentry.

The Arkansas Judiciary's district courts overview is at arcourts.gov/courts/district-courts.

The overview lists territorial jurisdiction, the $25,000 civil ceiling, the $5,000 small-claims limit, and the 41-district statewide structure as of January 1, 2025.

List of Benton County District Courts

Each department sits under one of three Arkansas Judiciary divisions. Judge Chris Griffin presides over the Rogers Division. Judge Ray Bunch covers Division 2 (Bentonville, Bella Vista, Pea Ridge, Cave Springs). Judge Jeff Conner covers Division 4 (Centerton/Benton County West, Little Flock, Lowell, Gravette/Gentry). Judge A.J. Anglin runs Siloam Springs.

Rogers District Court publishes its own page at rogersar.gov/364/District-Court.

The Rogers page covers traffic, ordinance, misdemeanor, civil, and small claims jurisdiction with court hours and payment-window cutoffs.

District Court vs Circuit Court vs Specialty Court

Arkansas uses Circuit Court as the general jurisdiction trial court. District Courts sit below Circuit Court. Specialty Courts are problem-solving programs operating through Circuit Court authority. Arkansas does not use a Texas-style "County Court" or a generic "Justice of the Peace" trial court; the Quorum Court is legislative.

How a Case Moves Through the Benton County System

Most cases enter at the district court level. Felonies preliminary at district court, then move up to Circuit Court for prosecution. Civil cases over $25,000 file directly at Circuit Court. Small claims under $5,000 stay at district court.

Criminal flow: Arrest › Booking at Detention Center › District Court first appearance › Charge decision by Prosecuting Attorney › Felony bound over to Circuit Court › Arraignment › Pretrial › Trial › Sentencing › Appeal to Court of Appeals.

Civil flow: Complaint filed at the appropriate clerk (district or circuit) › Service of process › Answer › Discovery › Mediation when ordered › Trial › Judgment › Appeal to Court of Appeals.

Traffic flow: Citation issued › Filed at district court for the issuing agency › Online or in-person payment if not Must Appear › Court date for contested or Must Appear cases › Disposition recorded.

Circuit Court Divisions Above District

Above the district level, Benton County Circuit Court has seven divisions covering criminal, civil, probate, domestic relations, and juvenile matters. Each judge is elected to a six-year term and must have been a licensed Arkansas attorney for six years before taking office.

Arkansas Judicial Hierarchy

The Arkansas judicial system runs in this order from highest to lowest: Arkansas Supreme Court, Arkansas Court of Appeals, Circuit Courts, and District Courts. Appeals from Benton County district court criminal cases go to Circuit Court. Appeals from Circuit Court go to the Arkansas Court of Appeals, with some matters going directly to the Arkansas Supreme Court. Federal cases route through the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, with the closest divisional courthouse in Fayetteville, and federal appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

Specialty Courts and Magistrate Functions

Benton County does not use a separate Justice of the Peace trial court. The Quorum Court is the legislative body, not a trial court. Magistrate-style functions (first appearance, bond setting, search warrant signing) happen at the district court and Circuit Court. Specialty Courts run under Circuit Court Division III, Judge Tom Smith presiding, at 1301 Melissa Dr., Suite 5. The Specialty Court Administrator's office is at 1204 SW 14th St., Suite 7, phone 479-696-9970.

Small Claims in Benton County District Court

Small claims divisions inside Benton County district courts handle civil matters up to $5,000. Trials are informal with relaxed evidence rules. The plaintiff and defendant typically appear without counsel, though either party can hire an attorney. Common small-claims cases include unpaid bills, security-deposit disputes, vehicle repair claims, and minor property damage. Filings happen at the district court for the city where the defendant is served or where the claim arose. Pea Ridge, Bella Vista, Bentonville, Rogers, Centerton, Lowell, Little Flock, Cave Springs, Gravette/Gentry, and Siloam Springs each accept small-claims filings under their own clerks.

Civil cases above $5,000 and up to $25,000 still file at district court but follow the standard civil rules. Cases over $25,000 file at Benton County Circuit Court instead, with full Arkansas Rules of Civil Procedure in play.

Appeals from District to Circuit Court

An appeal from a Benton County district court criminal case routes to Benton County Circuit Court for de novo review. That means the case is tried again at the circuit level, not just reviewed on the record. The defendant must file the notice of appeal within the statutory window after the district court judgment. Bond on appeal applies in most cases. Civil appeals from district court follow Arkansas appellate rules and can route to Circuit Court or directly to the Arkansas Court of Appeals depending on the matter.

Prosecution and Indigent Defense at District Court

The Prosecuting Attorney's office at 100 NE A St. handles county-prosecuted misdemeanor cases. Cities prosecute ordinance violations through their city attorney or contracted prosecutor. The Public Defender's office at 1204 SW 14th St., Suite 4, phone 479-271-1028, represents indigent defendants on district court criminal cases where eligibility applies. Specialty courts coordinate from 1204 SW 14th St., Suite 7, phone 479-696-9970, for treatment-court referrals from district court cases.

City Ordinance Cases

City ordinance violations route to the district court covering the issuing city. Bentonville ordinance cases go to Bentonville District Court at 2706 S Walton Blvd. Rogers ordinance cases go to Rogers District Court at 1901 S Dixieland Rd. Bella Vista, Pea Ridge, Cave Springs, Centerton, Little Flock, Lowell, Gravette, Gentry, and Siloam Springs each handle their own city's ordinance docket. Common ordinance categories include nuisance, animal control, sign code, building code, business licensing, and noise. Penalties are usually fines; some carry the possibility of jail time on repeated violations or specific code sections.

Related Benton County Resources

For dockets and case lookup, see court records and court dockets. For traffic case search, see traffic court records. For Clerk contact info, see Clerk of Court. For criminal cases, see criminal records. For warrants tied to district court missed appearances, see warrant records. For jail roster and inmate lookups tied to district court bookings, see inmate records. For broader records and statute references, see public records.