By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

An Alabaster man charged with exposing himself in the Pelham Walmart parking lot in late October is now facing his charges in the Shelby County District Court and must pass random drug tests while he is out on bond awaiting trial, according to court documents.

Daniel Patterson, 31, was arrested by Pelham police on one count of indecent exposure “with intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of himself” and one count of unlawful possession of a controlled substance on Oct. 24. He posted bond on Oct. 26, according to Shelby County Jail records.

Patterson’s charges originally were assigned to the Shelby County Drug Court docket, but his charges were transferred to the county’s District Court on Nov. 7, according to court documents.

Through Drug Court, “intensive treatment, rather than incarceration, is used as the primary means of coping with drug use, abuse and addiction,” according to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office website.

Those who qualify for the Drug Court program can have their criminal charges dismissed upon successful completion of the program, and can avoid jail or prison time in the process.

In a court order dated Nov. 12, Patterson’s two charges were transferred to District Court and scheduled for a preliminary hearing at 8:30 a.m. on Dec. 19.

“The above-referenced cases shall not be transferred back to the Drug Court docket without the prior approval of the undersigned (District Court) Judge (Ron Jackson),” read the order.

Through the order, Patterson is required to submit to and pass random drug tests while he is out on bond on the two charges.

“You are subject to bond revocation or other sanction if drug screening reveals that you have violated this bond condition,” read the order.

Pelham Police Department Capt. Larry Palmer said the department received a report of a man allegedly inappropriately exposing himself from a pickup truck in the Walmart parking lot on Oct. 24.

After arriving on the scene, police located the suspect’s vehicle and allegedly discovered prescription drugs, including hydrocodone, in the man’s vehicle, Palmer said.

Palmer said some victims in the indecent exposure incident were minors, and said Patterson has multiple other indecent exposure charges in other jurisdictions.