--- title: "Alex Kinlaw Jr. | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/alex-kinlaw-jr-circuit-court-judge-south-carolina-circuit-court-circuit-13-sc" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-08-02" --- # Alex Kinlaw Jr. South Carolina Circuit Court, Circuit 13 · Circuit Court Judge ## Profile - Court: South Carolina Circuit Court, Circuit 13 - State: South Carolina - Role: Circuit Court Judge - Service status: recalled - Last verified: 2026-07-27 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - He also held the role of Juvenile Drug Court Judge from 2011 to 2018 - In 2009, the South Carolina General Assembly elected him Resident Family Court Judge for the 13th Judicial Circuit. ### Education - J.D. at the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1978, serving as vice president of the Black American Law Students Association and interning with the South Carolina Attorney General’s Post‐Conviction Relief Division and the Criminal Justice Academy. - University of South Carolina in — B.S. (1975) ### Additional information - In June 2025, Governor Henry McMaster awarded him the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina’s highest civilian honor, for a lifetime of public service. - On February 7, 2018, he was elected to the Circuit Court Bench and served until his retirement on December 31, 2024 - Kinlaw was admitted to the South Carolina Bar in 1978 and later to the District Court in 1981. - He also attended the School of Criminal Defense Attorneys in Houston, Texas - Private practice in Greenville and Greenwood counties, where he became Death Penalty Certified and lead counsel in four capital cases - Born in Georgetown, South Carolina, to Alex and Corine Kinlaw, he graduated from Winyah High School with honors - Kinlaw was active in the South Carolina Black Lawyers Association, Donald J. Sampson Bar Association, National Bar Association, and other boards, including the Resolution of Fee Disputes Board and Commission on Legal Education and Specialization. - He also served on the boards of the Urban League of the Upstate, State Legal Services Agency, and Greenville Mental Health Board - Alex Kinlaw Jr. is a retired Circuit Court Judge for South Carolina’s 13th Judicial Circuit, recognized for decades of service in family, juvenile, and criminal law, and honored with South Carolina’s highest civilian award, the Order of the Palmetto - He is also noted as the first African‐American to serve on the 13th Judicial Circuit bench - Birth place: Georgetown, South Carolina ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### recording broadcasting photography Scope: statewide South Carolina Rule 605 generally prohibits courtroom broadcasting, televising, recording, and photography unless an exception or presiding-judge authorization applies. Evidence excerpt: the broadcasting, televising, recording, or taking photographs in the courtroom and areas immediately adjacent thereto during sessions of court or recesses between sessions is prohibited [South Carolina Appellate Court Rule 605: Broadcasting, Televising, Recording or Photographing Court Proceedings](https://www.sccourts.org/resources/judicial-community/court-rules/appellate/rule-605/) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### electronic evidence presentation Scope: statewide South Carolina Rule 605 permits the presiding judge to authorize electronic or photographic means for evidence presentation, record preservation, or judicial administration. Evidence excerpt: A presiding judge may authorize the use of electronic or photographic means for the presentation of evidence [South Carolina Appellate Court Rule 605: Broadcasting, Televising, Recording or Photographing Court Proceedings](https://www.sccourts.org/resources/judicial-community/court-rules/appellate/rule-605/) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### media coverage notice Scope: statewide South Carolina Rule 605 requires media representatives to give reasonable notice to the presiding judge when requesting courtroom coverage. Evidence excerpt: Media representatives must give reasonable notice to the presiding judge of a request to cover a proceeding. [South Carolina Appellate Court Rule 605: Broadcasting, Televising, Recording or Photographing Court Proceedings](https://www.sccourts.org/resources/judicial-community/court-rules/appellate/rule-605/) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### remote communication technology Scope: statewide South Carolina Rule 612 authorizes the Supreme Court to provide by order for courts to use remote communication technology for proceedings. Evidence excerpt: the Supreme Court of South Carolina may provide for the use of remote communication technology by the courts of this State to conduct proceedings [South Carolina Appellate Court Rule 612: Use of Remote Communication Technology](https://www.sccourts.org/resources/judicial-community/court-rules/appellate/rule-612/) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### virtual and in person recording Scope: statewide South Carolina's statewide order prohibits photographing, recording, or streaming live, virtual, or broadcasted court proceedings unless the presiding judge specifically authorizes it under Rule 605. Evidence excerpt: taking still photographs, recording (visual or audio), or streaming of any live, virtual, or subsequently broadcasted court proceeding is strictly prohibited unless specifically authorized by the presiding judge pursuant to Rule 605 [Supreme Court of South Carolina Order: Recording of In-Person or Virtual Court Proceedings](https://www.sccourts.org/courtOrders/displayOrder.cfm?orderNo=2020-09-28-01) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.sccourts.org/courts/trial-courts/circuit-court/judges/alex-kinlaw-jr/) - [Official roster](https://www.sccourts.org/courts/trial-courts/circuit-court/judges/alex-kinlaw-jr/) - [South Carolina Judicial Branch official judicial roster](https://www.sccourts.org/courts/trial-courts/circuit-court/judges/alex-kinlaw-jr/) - [South Carolina Appellate Court Rule 605: Broadcasting, Televising, Recording or Photographing Court Proceedings](https://www.sccourts.org/resources/judicial-community/court-rules/appellate/rule-605/) - [South Carolina Appellate Court Rule 612: Use of Remote Communication Technology](https://www.sccourts.org/resources/judicial-community/court-rules/appellate/rule-612/) - [Supreme Court of South Carolina Order: Recording of In-Person or Virtual Court Proceedings](https://www.sccourts.org/courtOrders/displayOrder.cfm?orderNo=2020-09-28-01) - [Alex Kinlaw, Jr. - South Carolina Judicial Branch](https://www.sccourts.org/courts/trial-courts/circuit-court/judges/alex-kinlaw-jr) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/alex-kinlaw-jr-circuit-court-judge-south-carolina-circuit-court-circuit-13-sc", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/alex-kinlaw-jr-circuit-court-judge-south-carolina-circuit-court-circuit-13-sc", "name": "Alex Kinlaw Jr. | KnowJudges", "description": "Alex Kinlaw Jr., South Carolina Circuit Court, Circuit 13. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.", "dateModified": "2026-08-02", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/alex-kinlaw-jr-circuit-court-judge-south-carolina-circuit-court-circuit-13-sc#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/alex-kinlaw-jr-circuit-court-judge-south-carolina-circuit-court-circuit-13-sc#judge", "name": "Alex Kinlaw Jr.", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/alex-kinlaw-jr-circuit-court-judge-south-carolina-circuit-court-circuit-13-sc", "jobTitle": "Circuit Court Judge", "worksFor": { "@type": "GovernmentOrganization", "name": "South Carolina Circuit Court, Circuit 13" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.sccourts.org/courts/trial-courts/circuit-court/judges/alex-kinlaw-jr/" ], "birthPlace": "Georgetown, South Carolina" }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "KnowJudges", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "South Carolina", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/state/south-carolina" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alex Kinlaw Jr.", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/alex-kinlaw-jr-circuit-court-judge-south-carolina-circuit-court-circuit-13-sc" } ] } ] } ```