Meet the Prosecutor

With a career rooted in advocacy and public service, Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney Shayla D. Favor is committed to advancing justice, equity, and safety for all residents.

Elected in 2024, Shayla serves as the 52nd Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney and is the first woman and first person of color elected to this role. She leads with a servant-leadership approach; centering trust, transparency, and collaboration, while building an office that is accountable to both her staff and the Franklin County community it serves.

Guided by the belief that a fair justice system and public safety can and must coexist, Shayla is addressing violent crime, supporting victims, and expanding evidence-based programs that reduce unnecessary incarceration and create meaningful pathways to rehabilitation. Understanding that long-lasting public safety is collective work, and she prioritizes and convenes partnerships with law enforcement, community organizations, nonprofits, and residents to strengthen neighborhoods, invest in our youth, and address systemic inequities.

Prior to her election as Prosecuting Attorney, Shayla served five years on Columbus City Council, where she championed policy initiatives to expand affordable housing, advance common-sense gun safety measures, and ban flavored tobacco products that disproportionately impacted neighborhoods of color.

While on City Council, she also served as the Executive Director of Partners Achieving Community Transformation (PACT), where she led the creation organization’s first strategic plan in more than a decade, expanded access to home repair and wealth-building resources, secured funding to combat food insecurity.

Shayla’s legal career began in the Columbus City Attorney’s Office, where she served as a zone attorney in the Environmental Division. In that role, Shayla developed key programs to rehabilitate properties and revitalize neighborhoods, such as the Receivership program, and the Vacant and Abandoned Property program.

Born and raised in Dayton, Ohio, Shayla has called Columbus home for more than 20 years. She is a graduate of The Ohio State University and Capital University Law School and is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She resides on the Near East Side with her husband, Corey and their pup Arizona.

“First and foremost, I am a public servant. The residents of Franklin County entrusted me with this role because they believe we can deliver justice not only differently, but better. Every step of my career has prepared me to lead this office with the vision, integrity, and dedication our community deserves. I vow to be transparent and accountable in every decision I make, because every decision is guided by one principle: serving the people of Franklin County.” - Shayla D. Favor