Judge Mehaffy is a native Texan. He practiced law for 29 years in Jefferson County before becoming 58th District Court Judge in 1994. Judge Mehaffy instituted the first electronic filing system in Texas, in 1996, and has been called "the pioneer of electronic filing in Texas." He is founder and past president of the Michelle F. Mehaffy American Inn of Court, a past president (and current Board member) of the Jefferson County Bar Association, a Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, a member of the College of the State Bar of Texas, and a member of the Texas Center for Legal Ethics and Professionalism. Judge Mehaffy is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law; he has spoken and written on a variety of legal topics.