| June 15, 1836 5 Stat. 50 |
Congress organized Arkansas as one judicial district and authorized one judgeship for the U.S. district court. The district court in Arkansas, not being assigned to a judicial circuit, was granted the same jurisdiction as U.S. circuit courts, except in appeals and writs of error, which were the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. |
| March 3, 1837 5 Stat. 176 |
This statute reorganized the federal judiciary into nine circuits and assigned the district of Arkansas to the Ninth Circuit. The act repealed the authority of the Arkansas district court to exercise the trial jurisdiction of a U.S. circuit court and established annual sessions of the U.S. circuit court in the district of Arkansas. |
| June 17, 1844 5 Stat. 680 |
Jurisdiction of courts in and for the District of Arkansas extended over the portion of the Indian Territory previously annexed to the Territory of Arkansas. When Congress divided Arkansas into two judicial districts on March 3, 1851 (9 Stat. 594), the Indian Territory fell under the jurisdiction of the Western District. Congress reassigned portions of this jurisdiction to the District of Kansas and the Northern District of Texas on January 6, 1883 (22 Stat. 400). Congress repealed the jurisdiction of district courts in Arkansas, Kansas, and Texas over the Indian Territory effective September 1, 1896 (28 Stat. 697). |
| March 3, 1851 9 Stat. 594 |
Act divided Arkansas into two judicial districts, the Eastern and the Western, with one judgeship serving both districts. While the Eastern District remained a part of the Ninth Circuit, Congress granted the district court of the Western District the same jurisdiction as U.S. circuit courts, except in appeals and writs of error, which were the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. |
| July 15, 1862 12 Stat. 576 |
Congress assigned Arkansas to the Sixth Circuit. |
| July 23, 1866 14 Stat. 209 |
Congress assigned Arkansas to the Eighth Circuit. |
| March 3, 1871 16 Stat. 471 |
One judgeship authorized for the Western District and the judgeship previously authorized to serve both districts made a judgeship for the Eastern District only. |
| January 31, 1877 19 Stat. 230 |
U.S. district court meeting at Helena, in the Eastern District of Arkansas, granted the same jurisdiction as a U.S. circuit court, except in appeals and writs of error, which were the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. |
| February 6, 1889 25 Stat. 655 |
Act repealed the circuit court jurisdiction of the district court for the Western District and for the Eastern District court meeting at Helena;act established a U.S. circuit court for the Western District of Arkansas; all appropriate cases transferred to the circuit courts. |
| May 31, 1938 52 Stat. 584 |
One additional judgeship authorized to serve both districts. |
| May 19, 1961 75 Stat. 80 |
One additional judgeship authorized to serve both districts. |
| October 20, 1978 92 Stat, 1629 |
Two additional judgeships authorized for the Eastern District. |
| July 10, 1984 98 Stat. 333 |
One temporary judgeship authorized for the Western District. |
| December 1, 1990 104 Stat. 5089 |
One additional judgeship authorized and one temporary judgeship made permanent in the Western District. The two judgeships authorized to serve both districts assigned exclusively to the Eastern District. |