Favor’s Bold Approach to Prosecuting Crime and Restoring Communities

As a champion for justice and community transformation, Shayla Favor, J.D. ’12, Franklin County Prosecutor, has dedicated her career to public service, shaping policies that uphold the law while addressing deep-rooted systemic issues to create a fairer and more equitable legal system.

“My time at Capital was informative, challenging, and life changing. I decided to study law because I’ve always been committed to this idea of what advocacy and equity in justice look like for members of my community who historically have been disenfranchised,” said Favor. “It is one thing to know the law and be able to reconcile with it, but I believe if you want to see change and you want things to change, then you have to be a part of that change. Capital helped to give me all that I would need in order to do exactly what I’m doing today, and I’m eternally grateful for that.”

Reflecting on her first-year criminal law class, she remembers grappling with the case of People v. Du, a pivotal case that underscored the real-life consequences of legal decisions.

“It’s actually the precursor case that set the stage for the Rodney King riots in L.A. It is a procedural case that many first-year law students will grapple with, but the underlying facts of that case were one in which a young Black girl, 15 years old, entered a convenience store and ended up losing her life for a bottle of orange juice. That was hard for me to reconcile, and it helped to reinforce what this notion of justice really is and what it could be,” said Favor.

“For many of us, we learn a lot about law is through ‘Law and Order’ and perhaps other legal procedural shows like that. But to see it in black and white and to grapple with the inequities of law, the limitations sometimes around law, how it can be weaponized to bring about terrible realities for people was inspiring to me.”

Favor’s career trajectory has been marked by her unwavering dedication to public service. Early on, she gained experience in both private law and public service, but it was her time at the Columbus City Attorney’s Office that truly confirmed her calling. As a zone attorney, a role now known as the Property Action Team, she worked on addressing crime through the abatement of nuisance properties, a pioneering initiative in Ohio.

“The work of this unit is transformative. Thinking about how we can address violent crime and criminal activity through the abatement of nuisance properties is amazing. It is one thing to take someone who is perpetuating crime out of a community, but what happens to the community once that person or entity is removed? The venue that helped to perpetuate that criminal activity is still present and everyone in the community knows it to be of such. It can become like whack-a-mole, you take person A out, but person B is right there to replace them,” said Favor.

“I could see the way the work was transforming neighborhoods. Not only residential properties but think about those convenience stores that are wreaking havoc in our neighborhoods, that are selling single cigarettes or selling alcohol to underage students. Places that are perpetuating criminal activity that our young folks are having to walk past every single day. People deserve to have a safe place to call home.”

Being elected as Franklin County Prosecutor was no easy feat, but Favor embraced the challenge. Favor’s first 100 days in office have already yielded significant accomplishments, and she remains focused on the long-term goals she has set for her tenure

“Public office is not for the faint of heart. The pursuit of this seat was one of endurance,” said Favor. “I’m excited about where we’re headed. We’re close to the 100-day mark and we already have some notable accomplishments that are exciting for our community, but they keep us focused on the goals that we’ve set. I’ve got a dynamic group of folks around me that continue to remind me about celebrating those wins because it’s important.”

As she looks ahead, Favor remains committed to her mission to guide her work as Franklin County Prosecutor.

“I wholeheartedly believe that the job of a prosecutor extends beyond the courtroom. I was very much aware during my race last year that I was speaking about this role in a different way. The name itself, ‘prosecutor,’ is almost a misnomer. While the courtroom is absolutely important, I believe a prosecutor has the responsibility to reduce and repair the harm that has been caused by our inequitable and our unjust system. The prosecutor is tasked with upholding the laws, and I believe that we should be going a step further,” said Favor.

“We should be out as engaged stakeholders, having conversations with our residents and our leaders in our community to figure out what the gaps are that are causing harm and leading some of our most vulnerable residents to continue to commit crimes in our community. It’s about exposing what those roots are and providing solutions to them.”

For more information about Capital University Law School, visit https://www.law.capital.edu/.