Can an Arkansas district court issue a writ of execution? Does a district court judgment automatically become a lien? Can a sheriff execute a writ from a court in another county or another state?
Subject
Twelve questions from Representative John Maddox about Arkansas civil process and writs of execution: who can issue them, when they create liens, what filings are needed to domesticate foreign judgments, and what authority a sheriff has to execute writs from courts inside and outside the sheriff's own county and state. The opinion is a practitioner-grade walkthrough of the writ-of-execution mechanism under Title 16, Chapter 66, with cross-references to UCCJEA child-custody enforcement.
Plain-English summary
A writ of execution is the legal instrument that converts a court judgment into actual property seizure by a sheriff. It commands the sheriff in the county where the debtor's property is located to take the property and apply it to satisfy the judgment. Title 16, Chapter 66 of the Arkansas Code is the master statute. The opinion answers twelve questions about who can issue writs, when they create liens, and how sheriffs handle writs from other jurisdictions.
The big picture is this. Arkansas state district courts are "courts of record" within the meaning of A.C.A. § 16-66-101, which means they have authority to issue writs of execution to enforce their own judgments. The statute that lists courts of record (A.C.A. § 16-10-104) does not name district courts, but the opinion concluded that the structural features of district courts (clerks, seals, contempt power, succession from former municipal courts which were courts of record) make them courts of record for execution purposes. District court clerks, under A.C.A. § 16-17-211(d)(6), are authorized to "[i]ssue and attest all process," which includes writs of execution.
A district court judgment does NOT automatically become a real-property lien. To create a lien on real estate, the judgment creditor must file and index the judgment with the circuit clerk in the county where the real property sits (A.C.A. § 16-65-117). For property in other counties, file a certified copy with the circuit clerk of each such county (A.C.A. § 16-65-117(b)(1)). A judgment never operates as a lien on personal property by itself. Personal-property liens require an actual writ of execution, delivered to the sheriff in the county where the personal property is located (A.C.A. § 16-66-112).
A sheriff can execute a writ of execution from any Arkansas court of record, including a district court, regardless of whether the issuing court is in the sheriff's own county. The only territorial limit is that the sheriff can only seize property located within the sheriff's own jurisdiction (county). A.C.A. § 16-66-109 makes this clear: "Executions issued upon any judgment, order, or decree rendered in any court of record may be directed to and executed in any county in this state without first procuring an order of the court for that purpose." So the judgment creditor does not need to register the underlying judgment in the sheriff's local circuit court before the sheriff acts. Registering creates a lien (an extra layer of protection) but is not a prerequisite for execution.
Once a sheriff receives a writ, the sheriff must execute it within 15 days (A.C.A. § 16-66-118(f)(1)). A sheriff who refuses can be charged with a misdemeanor and held liable for the writ amount (A.C.A. § 16-66-118(g)), with a good-faith immunity for due-care actions (§ 16-66-119). The sheriff is not required (or even permitted) to second-guess whether the writ was properly issued; that is the issuing court's job, with procedural defects challengeable by motion to quash under A.C.A. § 16-66-301(c).
Foreign judgments (from courts of other states) require domestication under the Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act (A.C.A. §§ 16-66-601 to -608) before any Arkansas sheriff can be made to enforce them. The domestication process: get an authenticated copy of the foreign judgment per Ark. R. Civ. P. 44(a)(2); file it with the circuit clerk in any Arkansas county where enforcement is sought (A.C.A. § 16-66-603(a)); file an affidavit with the names and addresses of debtor and creditor; the clerk mails notice to the debtor; no execution issues until 10 days have passed (A.C.A. § 16-66-603(c)).
Filing fees vary. Foreign judgment domestication costs $165.00 (the regular new-action filing fee). Registering an Arkansas judgment from another county typically costs about $15.00 (varies; Pulaski County is $8.00). Issuing a writ of execution costs $20.00. Payment is mandatory.
For child-custody enforcement under the Uniform Child-Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA) at A.C.A. § 9-19-201 et seq. and § 9-19-301 et seq., the operative process is a Warrant to Take Physical Custody under § 9-19-311. The sheriff's duty to act is triggered by an Arkansas court issuing the warrant or a writ of assistance, not by a foreign court order or by a request based on a foreign order. A foreign child-custody determination must be domesticated and enforced through an Arkansas court before the Arkansas sheriff can be commanded to act on it.
What this means for you
If you are an Arkansas sheriff
The opinion gives you a clean operating rule. You can execute a writ of execution from any Arkansas court of record (district or circuit, in your county or anywhere else in the state), provided the property to be seized is in your jurisdiction. You do not have authority to question the writ's validity; that is for the issuing court to handle on a motion to quash. You must execute within 15 days of receipt or face misdemeanor liability, with good-faith immunity for due-care actions. For foreign judgments (from another state), only act when an Arkansas court has domesticated the judgment under the UEFJA. For UCCJEA child-custody enforcement, only act on an Arkansas-court warrant or writ of assistance, never on a foreign order standing alone.
If you are a judgment creditor or collection attorney
Three practical points. First, you do not need to register an out-of-county Arkansas judgment with the local circuit court before the sheriff in that county can execute on personal property. Save the $15 registration fee and just send the writ. The exception is real property: if you want to create a lien on real estate, file with the local circuit clerk under A.C.A. § 16-65-117. Second, district courts are perfectly fine sources for writs of execution. You do not need to bump a district court judgment up to circuit court first. Third, for foreign judgments, the UEFJA process is the only path. You must get an authenticated copy under Rule 44(a)(2), file with affidavit, wait 10 days for the debtor's notice period, and then issue. Cutting corners on UEFJA puts the writ at risk.
If you are a district court judge or district court clerk
The opinion confirms two important powers. Your court can issue writs of execution to enforce its own judgments (A.C.A. § 16-66-101 read with the structural-court-of-record analysis). Your clerk can issue and attest the writ (A.C.A. § 16-17-211(d)(6)). Before issuing, the clerk must endorse on the writ the "debt, damages, and costs" (A.C.A. § 16-66-105). The form should substantively follow A.C.A. § 16-66-104.
If you are a debtor or have a judgment against you
Two things to know. First, the absence of a lien on your real property does not mean you can sell without consequence. If a judgment creditor has a writ but has not registered the judgment with the circuit clerk in your county, the creditor can still ask the sheriff to seize the property to satisfy the writ, and your sale to a third party may be subject to that seizure if it happens first. Registering the judgment to create a lien protects the creditor against your transferring real estate to a third party before the sheriff can act. Second, on personal property, the lien attaches when the writ is delivered to the sheriff (A.C.A. § 16-66-112), not before. Until then, the property is unlevied.
If you are a civil litigation attorney handling foreign judgments
The UEFJA process is well-defined and the opinion lays it out cleanly. Authenticate per Rule 44(a)(2) (this is exclusive: the Arkansas Court of Appeals held in Agility Financial Credit Union v. Largent (2018) that A.C.A. § 16-66-602 was repealed by implication when Rule 44 was adopted, so do not rely on outdated statutory authentication paths). File with the circuit clerk in any Arkansas county where you seek enforcement. File the affidavit with last-known addresses. Pay the $165.00 filing fee. The clerk mails notice (or you mail it and file proof). Then wait 10 days before requesting execution.
If you are handling a UCCJEA child-custody enforcement
The Arkansas sheriff acts only on an Arkansas court order, not a foreign court order. The two paths under the UCCJEA: (a) the petitioner files for enforcement of a foreign custody determination, and the Arkansas court issues a Warrant to Take Physical Custody under § 9-19-311 if there is imminent risk; the warrant directs law enforcement to take physical custody immediately. (b) The local prosecutor under § 9-19-315 may take action to locate the child or enforce the determination, and law enforcement may assist under § 9-19-316. Neither path lets a sheriff act directly on a foreign court order.
Common questions
Q: Why isn't a district court listed as a court of record in A.C.A. § 16-10-104?
A: Section 16-10-104 names the Arkansas Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and circuit and county courts but is silent on district courts. The opinion concluded the omission was not dispositive: district courts have clerks (A.C.A. § 16-17-211), maintain seals (A.C.A. § 16-10-110(a)), keep records of their proceedings (A.C.A. § 16-17-211(c)), can fine and imprison for misdemeanors (Ark. Const. amend. 80, § 7(B)), and can hold for contempt (A.C.A. § 16-17-133(d)(1); Dowdy (2018)). Plus they replaced municipal courts (Ark. Const. amend. 80, § 19(C)), which were courts of record per Turquette v. State (1927) and prior AG opinions. So they are courts of record for purposes of A.C.A. § 16-66-101.
Q: When does a judgment lien attach to real property?
A: It attaches when the judgment is filed and indexed with the circuit clerk in the county where the property sits (A.C.A. § 16-65-117(a)(1)(A)). For circuit court judgments in the same county, that may happen at judgment entry; for district court judgments and out-of-county circuit judgments, you need a separate filing with the circuit clerk.
Q: When does a lien attach to personal property?
A: When the writ of execution is delivered to the sheriff in the county where the personal property is located (A.C.A. § 16-66-112). A judgment by itself never creates a personal-property lien.
Q: Can a sheriff execute a writ from a court in another state?
A: Not directly. The foreign judgment must be domesticated under the UEFJA. Once a foreign judgment is domesticated and an Arkansas court of record issues a writ on it, the sheriff acts on the Arkansas writ.
Q: Why is the Rule 44(a)(2) authentication "exclusive"?
A: Agility Financial Credit Union v. Largent (2018) held that Ark. R. Civ. P. 44(a)(2) is the exclusive mechanism for authenticating foreign judgments and that A.C.A. § 16-66-602 was repealed by implication. So follow Rule 44(a)(2) precisely; do not rely on the older statutory path.
Q: How much does it cost?
A: Foreign judgment domestication: $165.00 (the regular new-action fee, $150 uniform + $15 technology). Registering an Arkansas judgment from another county: typically $15.00 first page, $5.00 each additional page (per A.C.A. § 21-6-306(a)(1)(A)), with Pulaski County charging only $8.00 flat. Writ of execution issuance: $20.00 (A.C.A. § 21-6-402(b)(2)).
Q: Can the sheriff refuse to execute a writ they think is procedurally defective?
A: No. The sheriff is required to execute and is not authorized to second-guess validity. The remedy for a defective writ is for the affected party to petition the issuing court to quash the writ under A.C.A. § 16-66-301(c).
Q: What happens if the sheriff just refuses?
A: Misdemeanor liability and personal liability for the writ amount (A.C.A. § 16-66-118(g)), unless the sheriff was acting reasonably and in good faith with due care (A.C.A. § 16-66-119).
Q: What about civil process for child-custody pickups?
A: The operative document is an Arkansas court Warrant to Take Physical Custody under A.C.A. § 9-19-311. The warrant must explicitly direct law enforcement to take custody immediately. Without that warrant or a writ of assistance, the sheriff has no obligation to act.
Background and statutory framework
A writ of execution is defined in case law as a court order to the sheriff in the county where the debtor's property is located, commanding the sheriff to take that property to satisfy the judgment (Moory v. Quadras (1998); Campbell v. White (1998)). A.C.A. § 16-66-104 provides a sample form.
A.C.A. § 16-66-101 grants writ-of-execution authority to "any final judgment of a court of record." A "court of record" is one required to keep proceedings records and capable of fining or imprisoning for contempt (Dodrill v. Executive Director (1992)). The statutory list at A.C.A. § 16-10-104 names the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, circuit courts, and county courts. District courts, though not listed, qualify based on structural features (clerk, seal, contempt power, criminal-misdemeanor jurisdiction with fine and imprisonment, succession from municipal courts).
Issuance procedure: clerk endorses debt/damages/costs on the writ before delivery (§ 16-66-105); writ should follow form in § 16-66-104 and is addressed to the sheriff of the county where the debtor's property is located. Execution can be in any county (A.C.A. § 16-66-109) without a separate court order in the executing county.
Liens. Real property: filing and indexing with the circuit clerk under A.C.A. § 16-65-117 in the county where the property sits creates the lien. Personal property: writ delivery to the sheriff under A.C.A. § 16-66-112 creates the lien.
Foreign judgments: UEFJA at A.C.A. §§ 16-66-601 to -608. Authentication via Ark. R. Civ. P. 44(a)(2) (exclusive: Agility Financial v. Largent (2018)). Domestication file: authenticated copy plus affidavit with debtor/creditor names and addresses (§ 16-66-603(a)). Clerk mails notice or creditor mails with proof (§ 16-66-603(b)). 10-day waiting period before execution (§ 16-66-603(c)). Filing fee equals regular civil action filing fee, $165.00 (§ 16-66-605; § 21-6-403(b)(1) + § 21-6-416(b)). Writ-of-execution fee: $20.00 (§ 21-6-402(b)(2)).
UCCJEA: A.C.A. § 9-19-311 governs Warrants to Take Physical Custody. The warrant must explicitly direct law enforcement to take custody (§ 9-19-311(c)(2)). Local prosecutor may act to locate or enforce custody under § 9-19-315; law enforcement may assist under § 9-19-316.
Sheriff procedure: 15-day execution deadline (§ 16-66-118(f)(1)), misdemeanor and personal liability for refusal (§ 16-66-118(g)), good-faith immunity (§ 16-66-119). Service of process: sheriff is authorized to serve process in their own county (Ark. R. Civ. P. 4(c)(2)).
Citations and references
Title 16, Chapter 66 (writs of execution and foreign judgments):
- A.C.A. § 16-66-101 (court-of-record requirement)
- A.C.A. § 16-66-104 (form)
- A.C.A. § 16-66-105 (clerk endorsement)
- A.C.A. § 16-66-109 (any-county execution)
- A.C.A. § 16-66-112 (personal property lien on writ delivery)
- A.C.A. § 16-66-118 (sheriff duties and liability)
- A.C.A. § 16-66-119 (good-faith immunity)
- A.C.A. §§ 16-66-601 to -608 (UEFJA)
Title 16, Chapter 65 (judgment liens):
- A.C.A. § 16-65-117 (filing for real-property lien)
Title 16, Chapter 17 (district courts):
- A.C.A. § 16-17-211 (district court clerks; powers)
Title 16, Chapter 10 (court structure):
- A.C.A. § 16-10-104 (courts of record)
- A.C.A. § 16-10-110 (court seals)
Title 9, Chapter 19 (UCCJEA):
- A.C.A. § 9-19-311 (Warrant to Take Physical Custody)
- A.C.A. § 9-19-315 (prosecutor authority)
- A.C.A. § 9-19-316 (law enforcement assistance)
Title 21, Chapter 6 (filing fees):
- A.C.A. § 21-6-306(a)(1)(A) (recordable instrument fees)
- A.C.A. § 21-6-402(b)(2) (writ of execution fee)
- A.C.A. § 21-6-403(b)(1), § 21-6-416(b) (uniform civil filing fee + technology fee)
Constitutional provisions and rules:
- Ark. Const. amend. 80, § 7(B) (district court misdemeanor jurisdiction)
- Ark. Const. amend. 80, § 19(C) (district courts as continuation of municipal courts)
- Ark. R. Civ. P. 44(a)(2) (foreign-judgment authentication)
- Ark. R. Civ. P. 4(c)(2) (sheriff service of process)
Cases:
- Moory v. Quadras, Inc., 333 Ark. 624, 970 S.W.2d 275 (1998)
- Campbell v. White, 294 Ark. 656, 746 S.W.2d 42 (1998)
- Dodrill v. Executive Director, 308 Ark. 301, 824 S.W.2d 383 (1992)
- Adamson v. Adamson, 9 Ark. 26 (1848)
- Turquette v. State, 174 Ark. 875, 298 S.W. 15 (1927)
- Henderson v. Dudley, 264 Ark. 697, 574 S.W.2d 658 (1978)
- Arkansas DHS v. Dowdy, 2018 Ark. 307
- Agility Financial Credit Union v. Largent, 2018 Ark. App. 358, 552 S.W.3d 471
Prior AG opinions cited:
- Op. 2011-143 (district courts as courts of record under § 16-66-101)
- Op. 2001-133, 92-005, 89-285, 84-215 (municipal courts as courts of record)
Source
Original opinion text
BOB R. BROOKS JR. JUSTICE BUILDING
101 WEST CAPITOL AVENUE
LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS 72201
Opinion No. 2025-114
March 3, 2026
The Honorable John Maddox
State Representative
520 Church Avenue
Mena, Arkansas 71953
Dear Representative Maddox:
I am writing in response to your request for an opinion on the interpretation of laws concerning civil process and writs in Arkansas, particularly writs of execution. You state that due to the distinct duties and responsibilities sheriffs possess in the State of Arkansas, clarification on these issues is needed.
Against this background, you ask the following 12 questions, each with multiple subparts:
1. Can a district court or district court clerk in Arkansas issue a writ of execution under Arkansas law? Is not the issuance of writs of execution under Arkansas law vested with the circuit courts and circuit clerks?
Brief response: State district courts have the authority to issue writs of execution to enforce their own judgments. This authority is not vested exclusively in circuit courts but extends to any court of record in Arkansas.
2. Does a judgment rendered by a district court in Arkansas constitute a lien on personal property or real property? Is a district court judgment required to be recorded with the circuit clerk to constitute a lien on the subject personal and real property of the defendant?
Brief response: A district court judgment does not automatically constitute a lien. To create a lien on real property, the judgment must be filed and indexed with the circuit court where the real property is located under A.C.A. § 16-65-117. To create a lien on personal property, a writ of execution must be issued and delivered to the sheriff in the county where the personal property is located.
3. May a sheriff lawfully execute a writ of execution issued by a district court or district court clerk in his or her own county? What is the process by which a district court judgment is filed or recorded in a county with the circuit court clerk or recorder in order to constitute a lien on personal or real property situated in the county where the district court is located? May a sheriff lawfully execute on personal or real property situated in his or her county in the absence of a judgment being filed or recorded with the circuit court or circuit clerk in his or her county?
Brief response: A sheriff may lawfully execute a writ of execution issued by a district court located in a different county, so long as the property is located within the sheriff's jurisdiction. While recording the judgment with the local circuit court is required to create a lien on real estate, it is not a prerequisite for the sheriff to execute a valid writ of execution issued by the district court and directed to the sheriff.
4. What is the proper procedure for recording or filing a judgment from: (a) another state? (b) a circuit court of another county in Arkansas? (c) or district court of another county in Arkansas than where the defendant has personal or real property situated?
Brief response: Foreign judgments must be domesticated under the Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act, which requires an authenticated copy, affidavit, and notice. Judgments from other courts of record in Arkansas are registered by filing a certified copy with the circuit clerk. Once properly filed, the local circuit clerk may issue a writ of execution. A judgment from a circuit court or district court of another Arkansas county may be recorded by filing a copy of the judgment with the circuit clerk of the county where the defendant's real or personal property is located.
5. What is the filing fee or recordation fee for filing or recording a judgment with the circuit clerk recorder for a judgment from another state, from a circuit court of Arkansas of another county, or district court in Arkansas of the same or another county?
Brief response: Fees vary depending on the type of judgment. Filing a foreign judgment requires the payment of the regular filing fee for a new action, $165.00. Registering an Arkansas judgment typically costs $15.00. The fee to issue a writ of execution is $20.00. Payment of these fees is mandatory to perform the filings and issue any writs of execution.
6. Is following and fulfilling the process in the answer to (4) and (5) required for the judgment to constitute a lien on the personal or real property situated in the county?
Brief response: Compliance with the filing procedures is required for a judgment to constitute a lien on real property or for a local circuit court clerk to issue a writ of execution. But these steps are not required for a sheriff to execute a writ of execution that was validly issued by the original Arkansas court of record and delivered to the sheriff.
7. May a sheriff lawfully execute a writ of execution issued by his or her circuit court or circuit clerk upon personal or real property of the defendant situated in his or her county?
Brief response: A sheriff generally has a duty to execute a writ delivered to him or her by an Arkansas court of record. The sheriff is neither required nor permitted to independently determine whether the writ of execution was validly issued or whether it suffers from any procedural defects. A sheriff is not legally obligated to execute a foreign judgment until it has been domesticated by an Arkansas court of record.
8. May a sheriff lawfully execute a writ of execution issued by a district court or district court clerk located outside [of] his or her own county, in another jurisdiction?
Brief response: Yes, a sheriff may lawfully execute a writ of execution issued by a district court located in another county, provided the property to be seized is located within the sheriff's own jurisdiction.
9. May a sheriff lawfully execute a writ of execution issued by a circuit court or circuit court clerk located outside [of] his or her own county, in another jurisdiction?
Brief response: Yes, a sheriff may lawfully execute a writ of execution issued by a circuit court located in another county, provided the property to be seized is located within the sheriff's own jurisdiction.
10. Are plaintiffs required to record the judgment of another state, or another circuit court, or another district court with the circuit clerk recorder?
Brief response: No. While registering the judgment locally is necessary to create a lien on real property and to obtain a writ of execution from the local circuit court, it is not required for the sheriff to execute a writ of execution issued by the original Arkansas court of record.
11. What civil process does the law set forth in A.C.A. § 9-19-201 et seq. or A.C.A. § 9-19-301 et seq. for sheriffs to be given notice and to have an obligation to enforce a civil order to take physical custody of a child in Arkansas?
Brief response: The primary process is a Warrant to Take Physical Custody issued by an Arkansas circuit court under A.C.A. § 9-19-311. The sheriff's obligation arises only when an Arkansas court issues this specific warrant or a similar writ of assistance, not merely upon a request based on a foreign order.
12. Do sheriffs in Arkansas have any authority, duty, or responsibility to serve or execute the civil process or civil orders of municipal, district, or circuit court orders of another state?
Brief response: An Arkansas sheriff's authority is derived from Arkansas court orders. A foreign child-custody determination must be registered and enforced through an Arkansas court. The sheriff acts upon the order or warrant issued by the Arkansas judge, not the foreign order alone.
DISCUSSION
To better understand the answers that follow, it is helpful to first review the general principles of Arkansas law governing writs of execution. A writ of execution "is an order to the sheriff of the county in which property of the judgment debtor is located commanding the sheriff to take property of the judgment debtor so as to obtain a stated sum of money for the judgment creditor." Title 16, Chapter 66 of the Arkansas Code governs the execution of judgments.
1. State courts of record. A writ of execution may issue on any final judgment of a court of record. A court of record is one "that is required to keep a record of its proceedings, and that may fine or imprison" for contempt. Arkansas law expressly identifies the Arkansas Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and all circuit and county courts as courts of record. Several questions below turn on whether a state district court qualifies as a court of record for purposes of A.C.A. § 16-66-101. Section 16-10-104 does not list district courts. But that omission does not resolve whether state district courts are courts of record within the meaning of the execution statute. This Office has previously opined that Arkansas district courts are courts of record within the meaning of A.C.A. § 16-66-101. The statutory and structural characteristics of state district courts support that conclusion.
District court clerks must "keep a fair record of all the acts done and proceedings had in the court and, enter all judgments of the court, under the direction of the judge." District courts have jurisdiction, concurrently with circuit courts, over misdemeanors. A person convicted of a misdemeanor may be fined or imprisoned. District courts have the authority to hold individuals in contempt.
When a court has both a clerk and seal, a presumption arises that it is a court of record. Arkansas district courts have clerks and must maintain seals. Finally, district courts replaced municipal courts and are regarded as a continuation of those courts. This Office has consistently opined that municipal courts were courts of record. Thus, it is my view that a district court is a court of record within the meaning of A.C.A. § 16-66-101 and has the authority to issue writs of execution.
2. Issuing writs. When a writ of execution is issued, it should substantively follow the form found in A.C.A. § 16-66-104 and be addressed from the issuing court to the sheriff of the county where the judgment debtor maintains real or personal property.
Before a writ of execution can be issued by the court clerk of the court of record, the court clerk must first endorse on the writ of execution the "debt, damages, and costs to be recovered before delivery of the execution to the officer by whom it is to be executed."
3. Direction of writ to sheriff. A writ of execution may be issued by any court of record in Arkansas and directed to the sheriff of any county in Arkansas. This does not require the underlying judgment to be registered in the sheriff's home county first, nor does it require the sheriff's home county to issue its own writ of execution. But if a judgment creditor wishes to obtain a writ of execution from the circuit court in the county where the judgment debtor has real or personal property, the judgment creditor may register the underlying judgment following the steps laid out in A.C.A. § 16-65-117. Once registered, the local circuit court has the authority to issue its own writ of execution under A.C.A. § 16-66-102.
Once the writ of execution is delivered to the sheriff, it is the sheriff's duty to execute the writ within 15 days of its delivery. A sheriff who refuses to accept the writ of execution may be guilty of a misdemeanor and liable to the aggrieved party for the money endorsed on the writ. But sheriffs and other law enforcement officers have immunity when, acting reasonably and in good faith, they exercise due care with serving and executing writs of execution.
4. Liens. A writ of execution acts as a lien on real and personal property once it is "delivered to the officer in the proper county to be executed." For real property, a judgment may operate as a lien, even before a writ of execution has been delivered.
Judgments issued from other states may be enforced in Arkansas by following the requirements of the Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act, discussed in more detail below.
[Q1 through Q12 detailed analyses follow in the source as quoted above; the AG's specific reasoning for each question matches the brief responses summarized above. The opinion ends with:]
Assistant Attorney General Justin Hughes prepared this opinion, which I hereby approve.
Sincerely,
TIM GRIFFIN
Attorney General