Former DA Graham passes away at 66

Standing up for the weak and those unable to fight back.

That is the main reason Bryce Graham Jr, former Colbert County District Attorney, said he wanted to be a prosecutor on a video uploaded by the Alabama District Attorneys Association in 2019.

Graham Jr. passed away suddenly on Nov. 2 from an apparent heart attack. He was 66.

Graham Jr. was elected as the district attorney of Colbert County in 2004. He had been a defense attorney for almost 20 years prior to becoming DA.

“Nothing makes me more upset than someone running over or taking advantage of someone weaker than they are or that is unable to fight back,” Graham Jr. said in the video. “That’s where I get my courage to come in and fight that fight for them. That gives me a lot to be proud of.”

He would serve three terms in that position — 18 years — before returning to private practice as a defense attorney in 2023.

“We are not only here to prosecute criminals,” Graham Jr. said. “A lot of times we have young people who wander off into trouble. Maybe not the worst thing in the world. But if we can help that child and give them a chance, and they turn out to be a productive citizen instead of ruining their record, maybe they will be the one who finds the cure for cancer. You never know.”

Graham Jr. was serving as a member of the defense team for a Lauderdale County circuit judge during an ongoing trial.