Ark. Code Ann. § 16-40-104 (2020)
Judicial knowledge of laws of other states
The courts of this state shall take judicial knowledge of the laws of other states.
History. Acts 1901, No. 98, § 1, p. 164; C. & M. Dig., § 4110; Pope's Dig., § 5119; A.S.A. 1947, § 28-109.
Research References
Ark. L. Notes.
Watkins, A Guide to Choice of Law in Arkansas, 2005 Arkansas L. Notes 151.
Ark. L. Rev.
Evidence — Proof of Statutory Law of Another State, 7 Ark. L. Rev. 66.
Documentary Evidence — Arkansas, 15 Ark. L. Rev. 79.
Uniform Interstate and International Procedure Act, 17 Ark. L. Rev. 118.
Legislative and Judicial Dynamism in Arkansas: Poisson v. d'Avril, 22 Ark. L. Rev. 724.
Judicial Notice, 27 Ark. L. Rev. 171.
Case Notes
Failure to Take Judicial Notice.
The jury was not qualified to categorize defendant's past violent behavior in North Carolina as a “prior violent felony” because the trial court took no judicial notice of North Carolina law and ignored defense counsel's request that the jury be instructed on North Carolina law. Greene v. State, 335 Ark. 1, 977 S.W.2d 192 (1998).
Particular Cases.
Judicial notice taken of laws of other states in particular cases. Rice v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co., 152 Ark. 498, 238 S.W. 772, 24 A.L.R. 143 (1922); Rumph v. Lester Land Co., 205 Ark. 1147, 172 S.W.2d 916 (1943); Great Am. Ins. Co. v. Stevens, 178 Ark. 84, 10 S.W.2d 356 (1928); Jones v. State, 198 Ark. 354, 129 S.W.2d 249 (1939).
Proof.
It is only necessary to plead foreign law, not to prove it. Wallis v. Mrs. Smith's Pie Co., 261 Ark. 622, 550 S.W.2d 453 (1977).
Cited: J.R. Watkins Medical Co. v. Johnson, 129 Ark. 384, 196 S.W. 465 (1917); Bridgeman v. Gateway Ford Truck Sales, 296 F. Supp. 233 (E.D. Ark. 1969).