Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Arkansas General Assembly, fetched 2026-07-23. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
1 State of Arkansas A Bill
2 95th General Assembly
3 Regular Session, 2025 SENATE BILL 244
4
5 By: Senator J. Bryant
6 By: Representative Unger
7
8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT CONCERNING POSTPONEMENT OF JUDGMENT IN
10 DISTRICT COURT; TO PERMIT A SUSPENDED IMPOSITION OF
11 SENTENCE IN CERTAIN DISTRICT COURT CASES; AND FOR
12 OTHER PURPOSES.
13
14
15 Subtitle
16 CONCERNING POSTPONEMENT OF JUDGMENT IN
17 DISTRICT COURT; AND TO PERMIT A
18 SUSPENDED IMPOSITION OF SENTENCE IN
19 CERTAIN DISTRICT COURT CASES.
20
21 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
22
23 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code � 5-4-321 is amended to read as follows:
24 5-4-321. Judgment in certain misdemeanor traffic district court cases --
25 Postponement.
26 (a) In a misdemeanor traffic case, other than a case involving driving
27 under the influence of alcohol or a drug, a judge within the criminal or
28 traffic division of a district court, the district court may postpone a
29 judgment for not more than one (1) year, and during the one (1) year period a
30 defendant:
31 (1) Is in a probation status, supervised or unsupervised; and
32 (2) Is in compliance with other orders of the court; and
33 (3) Remains in a probation status until a final judgment of
34 conviction is entered or the case is dismissed.
35 (b)(1) If a defendant enters a conditional plea of guilty under this
36 section, the district court may allow the defendant to withdraw his or her
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SB244
1 conditional plea of guilty and dismiss the case upon completion of the
2 probationary term and satisfaction of other orders of the district court.
3 (2) The district court may immediately enter a final judgment of
4 conviction upon finding that a defendant violated the conditions of probation
5 or other orders of the court.
6 (c) The following defendants are not eligible for a postponement of
7 judgment under this section:
8 (1) A defendant who was a holder of a commercial driver's
9 license or commercial learner's permit at the time of the offense, unless the
10 offense was a parking violation, vehicle weight violation, or vehicle defect
11 violation;
12 (2) A defendant who is charged with driving under the influence
13 of alcohol or other intoxicating substance; and
14 (3) A defendant who is charged with an offense for which
15 probation or postponement of judgment is otherwise prohibited by law.
16 (d) Restitution, fines, fees, or court costs assessed and collected
17 under this section shall be distributed in the same manner as if a judgment
18 of conviction was entered.
19 (e) A district court is not required to report the disposition of a
20 case under this section until either a final judgment of conviction is
21 entered or the case is dismissed.
22 (f) At the request of a defendant, parent of a minor defendant, or
23 counsel for a defendant, judgment shall be entered as quickly as feasible and
24 not more than ten (10) days following the request.
25 (g) At the request of a defendant, parent of a minor defendant, or
26 counsel for a defendant, probation may be continued and judgment postponed
27 for more than one (1) year.
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2 02/17/2025 9:35:18 AM CEB158Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.