Gwinnett County DA touts conviction rate, bridging gap with community

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gaston says she is working to make a difference in the county. 

The head prosecutor for the county gave an update Thursday morning on the work her team has done since taking office. 

Patsy Austin Gaston took office January 2021 after defeating Danny Porter who had held the position for 30 years. 

Gaston says her focus is on bridging the gap between her office and the community. 

"When I took this spot, I wanted to make a difference," Patsy Austin-Gaston said. 

It was a chance to list accomplishes from the Gwinnett County head prosecutor Patsy Austin-Gaston. 

"We have tried 63 jury trials in Gwinnett County for 2023, and you see the year is not over yet," Gaston said. 

Gaston says of those cases her team has an 80 percent conviction rate including murder trials. 

There's an 87.5 percent conviction rate with the drug and gang task force. 

"We are here not merely to prosecute but to educate. We want to do more than just prosecute," Gaston said. 

Gaston says she wants to be more than just inside the courtroom. She's in the community with several programs to engage the community.

"The RED program: Rehabilitation that Enables Dreams. That's a program for 17-28 year olds who are having their first brush with the law and what we are trying to do is pull them back from that trajectory," Gaston said. 

Another focus for the first woman and African-American elected to the position is to keep drugs out of the school system. 

"With the fentanyl overdoses and the things our young people are going through in school, I see it every day. There are a lot of vapes in school, inattention. They are taking THC derivatives, and we are trying to tap that down," Gaston said. 

There are ways you can get involved through the Gwinnett Citizens Academy where you can shadow and learn more about the department.