What Is a Pulaski County Court Docket
A Pulaski County court docket is the running log of every event in a case. The Clerk creates an entry every time a party files a motion, the judge enters an order, the court schedules a hearing, or the case status changes. Each docket entry carries a short event code, the date, the filer, and a one-line description. A docket is not the case itself. The full Pulaski County case file holds the actual motions, exhibits, transcripts, and orders.
Pulaski County publishes circuit court dockets and most district court dockets through Search ARCourts. The portal exposes the docket for any case where the local court has enabled remote access under Administrative Order 19. Older Pulaski County cases, sealed cases, juvenile cases, and adoption files do not appear in the public docket. Attorneys and parties may see more through e-filing or by going to the Clerk's office.
Pulaski County circuit court dockets cover felony, civil, probate, domestic relations, and juvenile matters. Pulaski County District Court dockets cover traffic, misdemeanors, hot checks, and small claims. The two systems share the Contexte case management platform, so a single Search ARCourts query can return results across both levels.
How to Find Pulaski County Dockets Online
Search ARCourts is the central tool for Pulaski County docket lookups. The portal at caseinfo.arcourts.gov/opad accepts participant searches by default. Searches by Pulaski County case number return cleaner results than name searches. A case number such as 60CV-23-2968 unlocks the docket in one step. Each docket entry shows the date, the event code, the filer, and a short description. Clicking an entry can open the document when the court has enabled remote document access.
The Pulaski County case search entry point at caseinfo.arcourts.gov covers circuit and district dockets through the same Contexte interface.
Pulaski County users land on this page when following the public docket-search links from the Clerk's site.
- Open caseinfo.arcourts.gov/opad and accept the public disclaimer.
- Choose a search context. Participants is the default. Switch to Organization for company-named parties.
- Type the first, middle, and last name of the party, or paste the Pulaski County case number.
- Open the result. Each Pulaski County docket entry shows date, event, filer, and description.
- For documents not posted online, call the Pulaski Court Clerks office at 501-340-8431 or visit room 121.
The Arkansas Judiciary navigation tips page covers advanced filters such as case type, court, and date range. Pulaski County users who search by common surnames like Smith or Johnson should always narrow with a middle name.
Sample Pulaski County Docket Entry
Each Pulaski County docket entry follows the same simple format. The date sits at the left. The event code identifies the type of activity. The filer name shows who lodged the document. A short description gives the gist. Documents may or may not be downloadable. Sealed entries can be redacted or hidden entirely.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Entry Date | Date the Clerk filed the event into the Pulaski County case. |
| Event Type | Short code: MOT for motion, ORD for order, NTC for notice, SUM for summons. |
| Party Filing | Plaintiff, defendant, attorney of record, or court entry by the judge or Clerk. |
| Document Link | Hyperlink to the filed document when the Pulaski County court has enabled remote access. |
| Hearing Date | If the event sets a hearing, the date and courtroom appear with the entry. |
| Disposition | Final outcome events like JDG (judgment), DIS (dismissed), or PLE (plea entered). |
Pulaski County Courts That Publish Dockets
The Sixth Judicial Circuit posts most Pulaski County circuit court dockets in Search ARCourts. District court dockets show up to the extent each district court has chosen remote access. Some Pulaski County records remain at the courthouse only. Juvenile dockets are not public.
- Pulaski Circuit Court - civil, criminal, probate, domestic relations dockets, posted in Search ARCourts.
- Pulaski County District Court - traffic, misdemeanor, small claims, and hot-check dockets where remote access is enabled.
- Juvenile Division at 3001 West Roosevelt - juvenile dockets are restricted under Ark. Code § 9-27-309.
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Arkansas - federal dockets for Pulaski County run through PACER and CM/ECF.
- Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals - federal appeals dockets at ca8.uscourts.gov.
Federal Pulaski County cases do not show up in Search ARCourts. A federal civil rights complaint, federal criminal indictment, or federal habeas case is searched through PACER instead. Pulaski County circuit appeals route to the Arkansas Court of Appeals, then the Arkansas Supreme Court.
Pulaski County Docket vs Full Case Record
A Pulaski County docket is a summary log. A Pulaski County case file is the underlying paperwork. The docket tells the reader what happened and when. The case file shows the actual content of every motion, exhibit, brief, order, and transcript. Many Pulaski County users only need the docket: confirming a hearing date, tracking a disposition, or finding a case number to share with an attorney. Others need the file itself.
| Docket | Full Case Record | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | List of dated entries | Pleadings, exhibits, orders, transcripts |
| Access | Free online for most public Pulaski County cases | $0.03 per page; $5 per certified seal |
| Use | Track Pulaski County case progress, find hearing dates | Legal review, evidence, appeals |
| Authority | Informational; not certified | Certified copy from Pulaski Clerk is the official record |
How to Read a Pulaski County Docket
Pulaski County docket abbreviations follow Arkansas Judiciary conventions. CV is civil. CR is criminal. DR is domestic relations. PR is probate. JV is juvenile. SC is small claims. TR is traffic. Event codes inside the docket use three- and four-letter shortcuts. MOT means motion. ORD means order. JDG means judgment. PLE is plea. ARR is arraignment. SUM is summons issued. NTC is notice. SUB is subpoena. DSP is disposition.
Disposition codes carry the case outcome. Common Pulaski County dispositions include guilty plea, not guilty verdict, dismissed with prejudice, dismissed without prejudice, nolle prosequi (the prosecutor dropped the case), and deferred sentencing. Civil case dispositions include judgment for plaintiff, judgment for defendant, default judgment, and dismissal by stipulation. Domestic cases close with a decree of divorce, a paternity order, or a custody order.
The bond field on a Pulaski County criminal docket lists the amount required for release. The probation field shows whether the court has ordered supervision. The restitution field tracks money owed to victims. Sealed entries appear as blank rows or do not appear at all. The Pulaski County Court Liaison at the jail coordinates court transport, video arraignment, and document handoff between the detention facility and the courts.
Pulaski County Court Liaison and Jail Dockets
The Pulaski County Regional Detention Facility runs a Court Liaison unit that prepares daily Pulaski County circuit and district court transport lists. The unit coordinates with public defenders and Pulaski County District Court for video arraignments. Court Liaison also processes release orders, distributes warrants and dockets, and handles DNA kits, arrest disposition reports, and legal documents between courts, the prosecutor, the state crime lab, and other agencies. This means Pulaski County custody status and docket updates can move on different clocks; the jail roster may show a person who has already been released by court order.
Pulaski County Appeals and Federal Dockets
A Pulaski County circuit court decision can be appealed to the Arkansas Court of Appeals, with the Arkansas Supreme Court retaining final authority. The Clerk's Central Receiving page directs Pulaski County callers to 501-340-8766 for appeal-process details. Federal Pulaski County cases follow a separate path. PACER at pacer.uscourts.gov covers federal docket access for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, with sealed filings, presentence reports, and juvenile material kept out of public view. The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals at ca8.uscourts.gov hears federal appeals from Pulaski County.
PACER charges per-page access fees for Pulaski County federal docket downloads above a quarterly threshold.
CourtListener at courtlistener.com publishes free federal opinions and dockets. CourtListener is not the official Pulaski County source and should not be used for certified copies, but it can help with research.
CourtListener can be a useful Pulaski County federal-case starting point when PACER fees are a barrier.
Pulaski County Courthouse Kiosks for Docket Help
In March 2023, the Arkansas Judiciary and the Arkansas Access to Justice Foundation placed two self-help kiosks inside the Pulaski Circuit and County Clerk's office. The kiosks let Pulaski County users search court records, print exhibits, access forms and fact sheets, view explanatory videos, and apply for legal aid. For a Pulaski County docket question that needs more than the Search ARCourts result, the kiosk inside room 100 plus Court Clerks in room 121 can usually answer it without an attorney visit.
The Arkansas Judiciary press release at arcourts.gov describes the Pulaski County kiosks and the broader Access to Justice partnership.
The Pulaski County kiosks are the closest local example of the Access to Justice technology pilot.