Saline County, located in Central Arkansas, is named after the Saline River. Formed in 1835, it spans 730 square miles and is home to over 120,000 Arkansans. The county seat is Benton City.

Courts in Saline County

Saline County judiciary comprises Circuit and District Courts. The Saline County Circuit Court presides over criminal and civil cases. The Circuit Court comprises Criminal, Civil, Probate, Domestic Relations, and Juvenile  Divisions.

The Criminal Division presides over felonies and misdemeanor cases, including assault charges, burglaries, drug possession, forgery, and kidnapping. The Civil Division handles civil disputes for claims up to $25,000, defamation, real estate transactions, foreclosures, injunctions, patent infringement, and contract disputes. The Probate Division deals with deceased estates and presides over wills, trusts, guardianships, and conservatorships of minors. The Domestic Relations Division handles family-related disputes, including child visitation, divorce, and division of marital assets. The Juvenile Division deals exclusively with minors presiding over juvenile delinquency, foster care placements, emancipation, child abuse, and child neglect cases.

The Saline County District Court handles less severe criminal and civil cases. The court presides over misdemeanor criminal offenses, traffic violations, civil cases for disputes claims below $25,000, and preliminary hearings for felony charges. The District Court has a Small Claims Division that resolves minor civil matters under $5,000.

Where to Find Public Court Records in Saline County

Public court records are documents and information from the courts open to the public. Interested persons may access public court records electronically through the ARCourts. In addition, the Clerk of the Circuit Court is the record custodian for public court records. Record seekers may visit the courthouse to view and copy public court records or mail requests to obtain the documents.

Types of Public Court Records in Saline County

Accessing public court records allows citizens to see how justice is administered, ensuring that legal proceedings are fair and unbiased. The following types of court records are publicly accessible in Saline County:

• Civil Court Records: Personal injury claims, property disputes, product liability, defamation, restraining orders, and employment disputes
• Criminal Court Records: Felonies and misdemeanors
• Probate Records: Estates, trusts, guardianships, conservatorships, and wills
• Family Law Records: Legal separation, divorce, annulment, child custody, and child support
• Traffic Records: Speeding tickets, reckless driving, seatbelt violations, failure to yield, and driving without insurance

Confidential Court Records in Saline County

Confidential court records are documents and information containing sensitive and private information exempted from public disclosure. Confidential court records are sealed to protect the privacy and safety of the individual named on the court document. Confidential court records in Saline County include:

• Trade secrets
• Mental health records
• Juvenile court records
• Substance abuse treatment records
• Crime victim and confidential informant information

Court records contain personal information that is confidential and restricted from the public. Personal identifiers are redacted from court documents to prevent unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. Personal identifying information removed from court records include:

• Financial information
• Driver’s license numbers
• Medical information
• Social Security numbers
• Residential address and phone numbers

Juvenile Delinquency in Saline, AR

Unfortunately, in many areas of the Saline County, juvenile delinquency offenses are on the rise. There are many reasons for the inflation in youth offenders. The juvenile sentence in Arkansas often depends on the severity of the crime, the number of charges, and other family matters.

In 2017, a total of 518 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Saline County. Of that total, 51% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 264 court cases. Another 5% were dependency cases that accounted for 24 of the juvenile cases.

A lot of counties, including, Saline County, are focusing on family counseling and relationships rather than punishment for juvenile crimes. Future Saline County juvenile delinquency tallies will show whether or not this approach is working.

Government of Saline County, AR

https://arkansas.gov/

County Seat:	Benton
Government Type:	County
Authority:	Home Rule
Year Organized:	1835
Total Square Miles:	730
2019 Population:	119,323
Persons/Square Mile:	0.01
County Contact:	200 N Main St County Courthouse Benton , AR 72015-3707 http://www.salinecounty.org/

Saline County, AR Courts