Choosing to remain in South Carolina, Mitchell practiced law for the Legal Services Agency of Greenville, Inc. He ran for a seat in the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1972, but lost the race. However, two years later in 1974, Mitchell won the seat for District 23. In 1982, Mitchell was indicted on a charge of illegal possession of food stamps when a client of his allegedly gave him food stamps as payment for legal services. A mistrial was declared and the charges were dropped after the jury could not reach a verdict in the case. Mitchell won election to the South Carolina Senate for District 7 in 1984 and served as a chairman of the Senate Corrections and Penology Committee during his tenure.