Criminal

Attorneys in the Criminal Division represent the State of Arkansas in direct and post-conviction appeals filed by convicted defendants in the Arkansas Court of Appeals and the Arkansas Supreme Court. Defendants may seek appellate review of their convictions from Arkansas circuit courts based on a variety of claims. The Criminal Division assumes the case from the local prosecutor and represents the interests of the State during the entire appellate process. After the State appellate process is complete, many prisoners pursue review of their convictions and sentences in federal court through habeas corpus proceedings.  The Criminal Division represents the State’s interests in these federal proceedings, including appeals from the federal district courts to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.