Arkansas Jury Health
Return to Jury Health Project main page.
The right of trial by jury shall remain inviolate, and shall extend to all cases at law, without regard to the amount in controversy; but a jury trial may be waived by the parties in all cases in the manner prescribed by law; and in all jury trials in civil cases, where as many as nine of the jurors agree upon a verdict, the verdict so agreed upon shall be returned as the verdict of such jury, provided, however, that where a verdict is returned by less than twelve jurors all the jurors consenting to such verdict shall sign the same.
—Arkansas Constitution Declaration of Rights; Article 2, Section 7
No person shall be held to answer a criminal charge unless on the presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases of impeachment or cases such as the General Assembly shall make cognizable by justices of the peace, and courts of similar jurisdiction; or cases arising in the army and navy of the United States; or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; and no person, for the same offense, shall be twice put in jeopardy of life or liberty; but if, in any criminal prosecution, the jury be divided in opinion, the court before which the trial shall be had, may, in its discretion, discharge the jury, and commit or bail the accused for trial, at the same or the next term of said court; nor shall any person be compelled, in any criminal case, to be a witness against himself; nor be deprived of life, liberty or property, without due process of law. All persons shall, before conviction, be bailable by sufficient sureties, except for capital offenses, when the proof is evident or the presumption great.
—Arkansas Constitution Declaration of Rights; Article 2, Section 8
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury of the county in which the crime shall have been committed; provided, that the venue may be changed to any other county of the judicial district in which the indictment is found, upon the application of the accused, in such manner as now is, or may be prescribed by law; and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation against him, and to have a copy thereof; and to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to be heard by himself and his counsel.
—Arkansas Constitution Declaration of Rights; Article 2, Section 10
Legal Resources
- Constitution: Arkansas Constitution of 1874
- Code/Statutes: Arkansas Code
- Legislature: Arkansas State Legislature
- Judiciary: Arkansas Judiciary
- U.S. District Courts: Eastern District of Arkansas, Western District of Arkansas
- Rules of Criminal Procedure: Arkansas Rules of Criminal Procedure
- Rules of Civil Procedure: Arkansas Rules of Civil Procedure
Arkansas Jury News
Citing a winter COVID surge, Chief Judge D. Price Marshall, Jr. has ordered that jury trials in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas will be postponed until AT LEAST 24 March 2021.
The Arkansas Supreme Court has suspended jury trials across the state until at least 15 January 2021. This is the second time it has suspended them since the start of the pandemic.
View more Arkansas jury-related news.
