Hon. John C. Hafley is a judge for the Montgomery County Court at Law No. 1 in Texas. He was elected to the bench in 2022.
Hafley also briefly served as an associate judge for the 221st District Court in Montgomery County (2022 to 2023).
Prior to his election, he operated his own private practice, the Law Office of John C. Hafley, PLLC, in Conroe since 2012. At the firm, his practice included criminal defense, probate, and guardianship matters. Before that, Hafley worked as an assistant district attorney with the Walker County District Attorney’s Office (2010 to 2013).
He received a B.S. in criminal justice and political science from Southeast Missouri State University in 1993. Hafley went on to complete a J.D. at South Texas College of Law Houston (2007) and a master’s degree in strategic studies from the United States Army War College (2015).
In addition to his legal career, he has served in the United States Army and Army Reserve since 1993. During his service, Hafley has served as an operations officer on active duty at Contingency Operation Base Speicher in Iraq (2008 to 2009); a battalion commander for the 607th Military Police Battalion in Grand Prairie, Texas (2010 to 2013); with the Ministry of Interior Military Assistance Group in Saudi Arabia (2015 to 2016); a deputy chief of staff (G3/5/7) for the 102nd Training Division in Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri (2016 to 2017); a commander of the 11th Military Police Brigade in Los Alamitos, California (2017 to 2020); a deputy commanding general for the 88th Readiness Division in Ft. Snelling, Minnesota (2020 to 2021); and a commanding general for the 100th Training Division in Ft. Knox, Kentucky (since 2021). Hafley, who obtained the rank of Brigadier General, was deployed to six different countries during his service.
Before beginning his legal career, he worked for eight years in law enforcement in Missouri, Illinois, and Texas.
During his law enforcement career, Hafley received the Aggressive Criminal Enforcement Award, the Commendation Medal, and the Medal of Valor. His military accolades include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, and seven Meritorious Service Medals,
Hafley has coached the Oak Ridge Woodlands Area Little League and the South County Football Little League. He has volunteered his time for the National Charity Roundtable and is a member of the VFW and the American Legion.
He and his wife have two grown children. Hafley, who attended Eureka High School, is the son of a Methodist minister.
