Washington is preparing to launch a “refund bureau” to reimburse previously paid fines worth millions of dollars to people with convictions tied to the Blake decision. FOX13
With Seattle City Council's rejecting the City Attorney's push to prosecute open-air drug use, the question now is: who is going to see that the state's new narcotics law is enforced?The State of Washington is preparing to pay out millions of dollars to people in connection with past drug convictions.
The move created a wide-ranging set of outcomes—it’s estimated that more than 200,000 felony drug possession charges dating back to 1970s were eligible to be vacated. This included people serving time behind bars, and those who were already free. Tens of thousands of misdemeanor marijuana charges were eligible to be vacated, as well.
The legislature had to move quickly to find a stop-gap law to criminalize drugs. A long-term solution proved harder to iron out – the 2023 legislative session wrapped up before lawmakers could strike a deal on a new law, causing a special session where a replacement law was finally passed.There was also immediate concerns for people serving jail time for convictions that were voided by the decision.
"The intent is to have a process that is easy to navigate and will provide for a timely response for individuals to receive their refunds," said Sharon Swanson, the Blake Implementation Manager for the Administrative Office of the Courts. Those attempting to recoup a refund from a previously paid legal financial obligation linked to the Blake decision must first get their charge vacated.
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