(a) The General Assembly finds that:
(1) The intent of Amendment 80 to the Arkansas Constitution was to create a unified court system to provide judicial economy and a fair administration of justice;
(2) The judicial system in this state should be composed of three (3) tiers to accomplish the intent of Amendment 80 to the Arkansas Constitution:
(A) Appellate courts to be composed of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals;
(B) General jurisdiction trial courts to be composed of the circuit courts; and
(C) Limited jurisdiction courts to be composed of the district courts;
(3) The city courts of this state should be consolidated with district courts in order to provide judicial and administrative functions in limited jurisdiction courts that are both necessary and cost-effective; and
(4) City courts provide a valuable service for the citizens of towns and cities that operate city courts and also revenue for those towns and cities and for this state. However, many towns and cities provide law enforcement officers for the safety of citizens but do not operate a city court.
(b) It is the intent of the General Assembly that a town or city that has operated a city court is to continue to receive revenue from cases that originate in its town or city limits and to establish a procedure to allow a town or city that has never operated a city court but that now or in the future may have law enforcement officers to be able to receive a portion of the revenue from cases that originate in its town or city limits.
(c) It is also the intent of the General Assembly that this subchapter will consolidate all limited jurisdiction courts in the state as of January 1, 2012.
(d)
(1) On January 1, 2012 , the district courts shall be regarded as a continuation of the city courts now existing.
(2)
(A) All papers and records pertaining to the city courts shall be transferred to the appropriate district courts and no suit or prosecution of any kind or nature shall abate because of any change made by this subchapter.
(B) Except as modified in accordance with this subchapter, any of the following existing on January 1, 2012 , shall continue unaffected:
(i) A writ;
(ii) An action;
(iii) A suit;
(iv) A proceeding;
(v) Civil liability;
(vi) Criminal liability;
(vii) A prosecution;
(viii) A judgment;
(ix) A decree;
(x) An order;
(xi) A sentence;
(xii) A regulation;
(xiii) A cause of action; and
(xiv) An appeal.