The daughter of a Marine who fought several island campaigns during World War II before returning home to work in the oil fields, Joan Huffman learned firsthand the virtues of hard work, tenacity, and public service.

Joan worked her way through Louisiana State University, earning her undergraduate degree in 1979. After graduation, she moved to Houston embarking upon a distinguished career in the office of Harris County District Attorney Johnny Holmes. Being a secretary was her first job in the DA’s office. It is in this job that she was inspired by the work of the prosecutors and decided to attend law school. She took night classes at South Texas School of Law while serving as a legal intern and secretary at the around-the-clock Intake Division.

In 1984, Joan earned her law degree and was hired as a Harris County prosecutor. She advanced from misdemeanor court to Chief Felony Prosecutor, Special Crimes Gang Prosecutor, and eventually Legal Counsel to the Organized Crime Narcotics Task Force. During her 14-year career with the DA’s office, she served as lead prosecutor in over 100 jury trials, including murders, sexual assaults, aggravated robberies, and sexual assaults of children. Thirteen of the murder trials she prosecuted were capital trials.

After a very competitive Republican primary in November 1998, Joan was elected Judge to the 183rd Criminal District Court. She was twice-elected to this felony court, defeating a Democrat in both 1998 and 2002.

Joan earned a reputation as a fair and tough enforcer of the law and a courageous judge in the face of pressure, whether political or from the media. When Joan was personally sued by the ACLU and attacked by nationwide anti-death penalty activists because she refused to legislate from the bench, she stood fast and was ultimately upheld by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and a federal judge. The Houston Police Officer’s Union named Joan Huffman the “Criminal District Judge of the Year” in 2000.

Since 2005, Joan has focused on her family.  Joan has remained active in public service by serving on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the Children’s Assessment Center Foundation of Harris County and as Co-Chairman of its Advocacy Committee. Joan is a member of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church and lives with her husband, Keith, and son, Luke, in Southside Place.