Franklin County has always held the tradition of law and order to a high standard. That tradition continued on November 15 when District Attorney-Elect Jeff Barksdale appointed Vina native Fallyn Pharr as the new Franklin County Assistant District Attorney.
Barksdale will take office in January 2023, after he ran unopposed in both the Republican Primary and the November 8 general election.
Pharr, a 2014 graduate of Vina High School, attended the University of North Alabama where she earned her undergraduate degree with a double major in Criminal Justice and Political Science. Following her graduation, Pharr was hired by Florence attorney Jamy Poss.
The following year, Pharr enrolled at Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham where she received her Juris Doctorate in just two and a half years by taking summer courses.
Pharr, whose maiden name is Shotts, is married to Taylor Pharr. They have one seven-month old daughter.
Pharr laughingly recalled that her first encounter with the idea of a career in law came in the fourth grade when a teacher mentioned how well she could argue.
“I had a teacher in the fourth grade that told me that I would make a great attorney one day, because I had a real knack for arguing. That was my first real connection to the thought of a career in law, honestly, so I started actually thinking about it, and it just stuck with me,” Pharr said.
The motivation for many young lawyers is the desire to help people who otherwise would not have a voice in the legal system, and that also rings true with Pharr.
“I love the idea of being an attorney, because it grants me the opportunity to help people in some way or another. I have the ability to help victims receive justice, or to defend someone who is being wrongfully accused,” Pharr said.
“It is meaningful and allows me to serve a purpose for people who, otherwise, may not have honest representation,” she added.
Goal orientation is a pivotal part of any success story. Pharr was very forthcoming with exactly what it was that she wanted to achieve in her new position as Assistant District Attorney.
“Obviously, I want to help victims seek out proper justice, but beyond that, I just want to do a good job for the people and the community that I serve on a daily basis. I want to be a true and honest voice for the people. Not only that, but I want to work side by side with our local law enforcement to make sure they know that the job they do is greatly appreciated. Overall, I want the community to feel that they are as safe as possible,” Pharr said.
As an Assistant District Attorney in Franklin County, Pharr has realized her major career goal and she's appreciative, and excited, about the opportunity.
“My goal was to always be a District Attorney, or at least an Assistant District Attorney and I have achieved that. My focus is solely on doing the job I’ve been assigned and doing it well. I’m not looking, at this point, to ‘climb the ladder’. I’m happy right where I am,” Pharr said.
Pursuing a degree in something as intricate as law is bound to come with some form of stress or another, but for Pharr, it was not nearly as difficult as some would imagine.
“I had struggles, but not like you would really think. There was a lot of pressure academically, but not so much from other sources. I had a great community behind me that supported my journey to success. I have a great husband who encouraged me through the entirety of my educational completion. That definitely made it easier on me. I have been very blessed all the way through the process of answering a calling,” Pharr said.
The community plays a major role not only in the position of Assistant District Attorney, but to Pharr personally. She took time to express how vital it was for the community as a whole to know how much this privilege to serve means to her.
“I just want them to know that I am here for them in any way that they might need me to be. I want to help them any way that I can,” Pharr said.
“A degree like mine would have allowed me to go anywhere and do anything that I wanted to, but I purposefully chose to stay here, so that I could invest in my own district, because it means that much to me,” she added.
Pharr took ample time to express her gratitude to those who made this opportunity possible and as easy as it could be for her.
“Firstly, I just want to thank my parents. They’ve helped so much along the way it has meant so much to me. I want to thank my husband for being so supportive and always believing in me. Obviously, a big thank you to Jeff (Barksdale), Mandy (Barksdale), and Joey (Rushing) for welcoming me, so kindly, into the Franklin County District Attorney’s Office. They have made this transition process so easy for me,” she added.
Pharr officially started her new position with the Franklin County District Attorney’s Office on November 15, 2022.
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