Judge Pinkston currently serves as Circuit Court Judge, Place #1, for Elmore County, Alabama. He also serves as Elmore County’s Presiding Juvenile Court Judge. By appointment of the Presiding Circuit Judge, Judge Pinkston additionally serves as Special Circuit Court Judge for the 19th Judicial Circuit, and as Special District Court Judge for Autauga and Chilton Counties.

Appointed to the bench by Governor Robert Bentley in August of 2013, Judge Pinkston later garnered over 72% of the vote in Elmore County to win his first political election in 2014. As an attorney, he practiced law privately for over 18 years, during which time he handled scores of cases of many varieties. In addition to representing individual clients and private businesses, since 2006 and until his judicial appointment, Attorney Pinkston also represented Elmore County, The Elmore County Sheriff’s Department, The Elmore County Revenue Commissioner and The Elmore County Probate Judge. Since obtaining an advanced legal degree in Dispute Resolution in 2001, practicing attorneys and sitting judges throughout the 19th Judicial Circuit entrusted Mr. Pinkston to mediate hundreds of cases.

Widely recognized for his reputation of highest ethical conduct, and following years of demonstrating the highest levels of professional legal excellence, in 2012 local judges and lawyers awarded Judge Pinkston a “Preeminent” Martindale-Hubbell rating of “AV.” As of August 2013, Judge Pinkston was the youngest of only three active lawyers practicing in Elmore County to be awarded the prestigious AV rating. Peer reviewed and rated in the areas of legal knowledge, analytical capability, judgment, ability to communicate and legal experience, then Attorney Patrick D. Pinkston was awarded an overall score of 5.0 on a 5 point scale (see Martindale.com).

Judge Pinkston is a graduate of BYU (B.A. ‘91), Jones School of Law (J.D. ‘94), and The University of Missouri at Columbia (LL.M. - Dispute Resolution ‘01). In addition to his current judicial duties, Judge Pinkston also serves on The Alabama Supreme Court Standing Committee On The Rules Of Judicial Administration, The State of Alabama Quality Assurance Board over the Department of Human Resources, The Alabama Administrative Office of Courts Judicial Education Committee and he serves as Chairman of The Elmore County Children’s Policy Council and as Secretary for the Alabama Association of Juvenile Court Judges.

A resident of Elmore County, Alabama, Judge Pinkston and his wife, Georgia, are the parents of four children: Thatcher, Audrey, Emily and Rhett.

Contact Information

Office Staff:

Ricky Tyler - Court Reporter
Shyanne Horn - Judicial Assistant

8935 Highway 231 North
Wetumpka, AL 36092
Phone: (334) 567-1148