Arkansas Criminal Defense
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Criminal Defense Made Simple
Little Rock Criminal Attorney Serving Central Arkansas and Beyond | 43+ Years Strong
Being charged with a crime can feel like the ground just dropped out from under you. The system moves quickly—bond decisions, first appearances, early statements to police—and early choices can ripple through your entire case.
Our approach is simple and relentless: we prepare every case like it’s going to trial, we get involved as early as possible, and we pair compassionate counsel with aggressive, strategic litigation.
We practice in Pulaski County and throughout Arkansas, and our team of Arkansas criminal defense attorneys are well versed in the practices of local judges and prosecutors. We know what it takes to actually turn a stressful accusation into a defensible case.
For 43+ years, we have won a wide range of criminal cases, including DWI/DUI, violent crimes, property crimes, and drug offenses.
Understanding Your Rights Is The First Step
Every criminal case is a timing contest. The government gains the upper hand by moving fast: filing charges, asking for conditions of release, and pressing for early admissions of guilt. You can do your part by invoking your 5th amendment rights. Staying silent and putting a defense team between you and the state is the best path forward.
Have questions about your rights? Submit them below for a speedy reply!
Common Arkansas Charges and Typical Defense Responses
The label on the charge rarely tells the whole story. The best defenses mix constitutional challenges, forensic scrutiny, and practical mitigation.
Collateral Consequences Are Part of the Defense
A conviction can echo beyond the courtroom: immigration status, firearm rights, licensure, student aid, housing, employment, professional discipline, family matters, and travel. If these basic rights are threatened, we use that to shape strategy, charge bargaining, and plea language. If you hold a license or a security clearance—or if you ever plan to seal your record—those considerations belong in today’s plan, not tomorrow’s regret.
How to Help Your Own Case—Starting Now
If you’re reading this before your first hearing, you have an opportunity. Stop talking to investigators without counsel. Save messages, call logs, social posts, and video that might matter. Make a clean, private list of potential witnesses. If you are on supervision, document compliance and ask for receipts. If treatment or counseling could genuinely help the court understand the context, we can guide you to reputable providers. Every responsible step you take now makes it easier to argue for release, for leniency, or for a second chance.
Ready to Protect Your Future?
The earlier we engage, the more options you keep. Call 501-838-4043 or visit ludwiglawfirm.com to schedule a confidential consultation. If your loved one is in custody or you have court this week, say so—we prioritize urgent matters and bond hearings.
Disclaimer
The information provided on this page is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Reading this page or contacting Ludwig Law Firm through this content does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different, and outcomes depend on specific facts and law. For legal guidance tailored to your situation, please contact Ludwig Law Firm directly at 501-838-4043 or ludwiglawfirm.com.
The Value of Hiring A Lawyer Early
Ludwig Law Firm’s criminal defense attorneys can immediately begin defending you by protecting your release status, preserving evidence favorable to you, and shutting down unnecessary contact that could be used against you.
Once we have effectively cut you off from the State, we attack the foundations of the case—how the evidence was obtained, whether the stop, search, or seizure complied with the Constitution, whether statements were voluntary, and whether the state can actually prove each element beyond a reasonable doubt.
If investigators cut corners, we aim to exclude the results; if the prosecution overcharged, we work to narrow the case; and if the evidence can’t support the claims, we ask for dismissal.
We are excellent at choosing the right audience for our jury, giving us an advantageous position when it comes time to try the case. And, when discretion and diplomacy will produce a better outcome, we use these strategies with a clear end goal.
Suppression of the Stop, Search, and Seizure
Many Arkansas criminal cases begin based on a stop, followed by the search or seizure of the contents of a phone or vehicle. As lawyers, we’re always skeptical of the execution of these searches, and our goal is to suppress them if they were performed improperly by the police.
We examine the order of events from the first officer contact to the last forensic report. We want to know:
Did police have reasonable suspicion or probable cause?
Was the warrant particularized?
Were the phone and cloud extractions inside the scope?
Was consent actually voluntary?
We see this time and again in our practice – suppression issues change outcomes. A single successful motion can reduce a multi-count felony into a manageable misdemeanor or remove the state’s cornerstone evidence entirely.
Probation & Technical Violations
Probation violations are often overlooked and rarely addressed properly. Missing an appointment, a paperwork lapse, or a positive test can trigger revocation proceedings with real incarceration exposure—even when no new crime is alleged.
We treat these hearings by building context, presenting compliance evidence, negotiating workable modifications, and contesting allegations that the state cannot prove. Small course corrections now can prevent big consequences later.
Federal Charges in Arkansas
Arkansas state cases and federal cases are completely different worlds. Thankfully, our criminal defense lawyers frequent both courtrooms.
State charges are prosecuted in district and circuit courts, run the classic spectrum from misdemeanors to serious felonies, and often the results hinge on police reports, lab results, and local practice. Federal cases, by contrast, are precision-built by federal agents, and are much higher stakes. They involve grand juries, agency investigations (FBI, DEA, ATF, IRS) and expansive discovery that can draw sentences out by years.
We treat federal files with the respect they demand, focusing on early intervention, targeted motion practice, and United States Sentencing Guidelines advocacy that addresses loss calculations, role, criminal history, acceptance of responsibility, safety valves, and variances. Whether you’re facing a Pulaski County drug possession or a multi-defendant federal conspiracy, our strategy is the same: rigorous preparation and a defense that anticipates the government’s next move.
Complex & Professional Cases
Professionals—physicians, psychologists, executives, attorneys—face unique risks. Criminal penalties are honestly the least of their problems; they have to worry about the reactions of licensing boards, credentialing bodies, and insurers. Their reputation is on the line.
We build defense strategies that account for both court and career. We coordinate with licensing counsel, address mandatory reporting, and plan for reputational impact. In white-collar cases, we focus on intent, materiality, loss, and causation, often deploying expert analysis to counter broad government narratives with precise facts.
The Arkansas Criminal Process (From First Contact to Final Outcome)
Ludwig: Law Made Simple
If you want to see different ways we can help you, take a look at our blog, Law Made Simple! Here, we break down ways to protect your rights, highlight recent clients wins, and provide commentary on the impact of current events on the legal landscape.
Let's Win Your Arkansas Criminal Case.
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