Judge Jim Mehaffy dies at 81

  • Judge Jim Mehaffy dies at 81
    Judge Jim Mehaffy dies at 81

The Honorable James William Mehaffy Jr., Jefferson County 58th District Court Judge from 1994-2006, died Feb. 2, 2022. Born in Houston on Nov. 23, 2940, Judge Mehaffy, known to friends as Jim, was 81 years old.

Mehaffy attended public schools in Beaumont through 10th grade, ultimately completing high school at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School in Austin in 1958. He earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1962, and earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Washington School of Law in 1965.

Mehaffy’s resume reveals he was a man who believed in working hard, even as a youth. During his school years, Mehaffy held various part-time jobs, including working on towboats, at gas stations, on construction crews, as a store clerk and as a tile-setter’s helper. He began his legal career in Beaumont on July 1, 1965, at the litigation firm Keith, Mehaffy and Weber, now known as MehaffyWeber.

From 1965 until 1994, Mehaffy represented clients, primarily in civil and personal injury trials, as a private practitioner. In 1994, he stepped into a new role as a civil court trial judge overseeing numerous cases during his 12-year tenure. He retired from the county on Dec. 31, 2006. Over the course of his legal career, Mehaffy garnered many awards and accolades, including an Outstanding Bar Journal Award from the Texas Bar Foundation in 2001 for his article, “A Few Tips on Jury Selection,” published in The Texas Bar Journal. He published multiple other articles, and was dubbed “The Pioneer of Electronic Filing in Texas” for his design and implementation of an electronic filing system in the 58th District Court.

Following his retirement from the bench, Mehaffy continued working as a mediator on cases primarily involving personal injury, commercial matters, insurance coverage, property issues and divorce, among others.

Mehaffy was well-loved by his family and the community he served, as is evident from numerous social media interactions. He supported numerous local nonprofits including the Julie Rogers Gift of Life Programs, CASA of Southeast Texas and the Garth House – Mickey Mehaffy Children’s Advocacy Program, a local children’s abuse investigation and counseling agency, among others.

Funeral arrangements are pending.