(a)
(1) The wages of all laborers and mechanics not exceeding their wages for sixty (60) days shall be exempt from seizure by garnishment, or other legal process if the defendant in any case files with the court from which the process is issued a sworn statement that the sixty (60) days' wages claimed to be exempt is less than the amount exempt to him or her under the Constitution of the state, and that he or she does not own sufficient other personal property which, together with the sixty (60) days' wages, would exceed in amount the limits of the constitutional exemption.
(2) The party in whose favor the garnishment has been issued, and who asserts that a claim of exemption is invalid in whole or in part, by giving five (5) days' written notice to the person claiming the exemption, shall be entitled to a hearing before the court or judge issuing the garnishment upon the question of the validity of the claim of exemption. No supersedeas shall be issued for a period of five (5) days after the claim of exemption is made in order to provide time for the party in whose favor the garnishment has been issued to request such hearing. The notice required by this section shall be served by a person authorized to serve a summons under § 16-58-107, and shall be filed in the office of the judge or the clerk issuing the garnishment.
(3)
(A) If the claim of exemption is not valid, either in whole or in part, then the garnishment proceedings shall be stayed only as to such amount as the court may determine.
(B) If the claim of exemption is sustained, the wages of the person claiming such exemption shall not again be seized by garnishment or other legal process, for a period of sixty (60) days.
(b)
(1) The first twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per week of the net wages of all laborers and mechanics shall be absolutely exempt from garnishment or other legal process without the necessity of the laborer or mechanic filing a schedule of exemptions as provided in subsection (a) of this section.
(2) The term "net wages", as used in this subsection, shall mean gross wages less the deductions actually withheld by the employer for Arkansas income tax, federal income tax, social security, group retirement, and group hospitalization insurance premiums and group life insurance premiums.
(c) Any officer violating the provisions of this section shall be subject to the fines and penalty mentioned in § 16-66-214.
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