Editor’s note: The author of this story is Lisa Mills, a regular contributor to The Grand Prairie Herald.

The Prairie County Quorum Court passed a resolution to dissolve district courts in DeValls Bluff and Biscoe at its Tuesday, March 10 meeting.

Justice of the Peace Rick Stallings sponsored the proposal, which will also require state legislative approval.

“I sponsored the resolution to dissolve the DeValls Bluff and Biscoe District Courts in an effort to help reduce county expenses,” he tells The Grand Prairie Herald.

“According to the Sheriff’s Office, none of their citations or tickets are currently being filed through either of these courts. When I looked further into the courts’ activity through the Arkansas Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), the numbers reflected very limited use,” added Stallings.

Indeed, the Biscoe District Court reported no cases filed in 2022, 2023, or 2024. The DeValls Bluff District Court reported 297 cases filed in 2022 and 342 cases in 2023. No activity had been reported to the AOC for 2024.

In 2025, the county paid out $32,027 to the DeValls Bluff Court and Biscoe Court. DeValls Bluff received $22,913.08, while Biscoe received $9,114.50.

State lawmakers and the governor will have to approve the dissolution of the district courts in the 2027 legislative session.

Any cases in the DeValls Bluff or Biscoe District Courts will be held in the Hazen and Des Arc District Courts.

Judge Lawrence Holloway, Clerk Gaylon Hale, Attorney Abram Skarda, and Justices Bill Calhoum, Gary King, Paul Hooks, Levi Childress, Bobby Willeford, Rick Stallings, and Ronald Eans were present at the March 10 meeting.