Where does justice begin?

In Episode 3 of Upfront Gwinnett: Trapped and Trafficked, titled “The Tipping Point,” the focus shifts from awareness to accountability, spotlighting the legal leaders working in real time to prosecute traffickers, protect victims, and force systems to respond.

This episode examines the moment when silence gives way to responsibility, and when justice becomes more than a concept. It becomes action.

When Accountability Enters the Room

The episode features Patsy Austin-Gatson, who leads the prosecution of trafficking cases in Gwinnett County. While her career has included murder trials and violent crime, Austin-Gatson says trafficking cases present unique challenges, particularly when victims feel emotional attachment to those who exploited them.

She emphasizes a victim-centered approach that balances prosecution with long-term recovery, ensuring survivors are supported through every stage of the process.

Justice, she notes, is not only about convictions. It is about giving survivors a path forward.

A Verdict That Sent a Message

Episode 3 also highlights a landmark civil case that changed the conversation statewide.

Attorney Pat McDonough secured Georgia’s largest civil trafficking verdict, a $40 million judgment against a hotel found to have ignored clear signs of child sex trafficking on its property.

The verdict made national headlines, but McDonough says the case was never just about the number. It was about accountability and forcing the hospitality industry to confront what happens when exploitation is knowingly allowed to continue.

Civil litigation, he explains, plays a critical role alongside criminal prosecution by addressing what was permitted to happen, again and again, when warning signs were ignored.

Justice and Recovery Are Connected

Both the criminal and civil cases highlighted in The Tipping Point underscore a shared truth. Accountability can be a turning point for survivors.

Austin-Gatson stresses that prosecution must be paired with advocacy and support, allowing survivors not only to see justice served, but to reclaim agency and rebuild their lives beyond the trauma they endured.

Why The Tipping Point Matters

Episode 1 introduced survivors trafficked in plain sight.
Episode 2 highlighted the unseen work behind investigations.
Episode 3 marks the shift.

The Tipping Point shows what happens when institutions, industries, and individuals are no longer allowed to look away, and when justice becomes a tool for change.

Upfront Gwinnett: Trapped and Trafficked is produced by Gwinnett County Government and shares the voices of survivors, advocates, law enforcement, and legal leaders working to confront exploitation and protect the vulnerable.

Watch Episode 3: The Tipping Point

Coming up in the final episode: a look at what’s happening now, from faith-based efforts to new county partnerships focused on prevention and protection.