OLYMPIA, WA – Millions of dollars will be paid out to men and women who have past drug convictions in Washington State. The Administrative Office of the Courts is preparing to launch the Blake Refund Bureau in July in order to reimburse individuals who paid fines or costs ordered by courts. In February 2021, the Washington Supreme Court ruled the state’s drug possession law was unconstitutional
Development of the Blake Refund Bureau, which will operate through an online portal, is led by the AOC in collaboration with local courts and county clerks, public defenders, prosecutors, impacted individuals, advocacy groups, and other stakeholders.
“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,” according to AOC Blake Implementation Manager Sharon Swanson. “The public will be able to search for their cases by their name or case number.”
From Administrative Office of the Courts:
In the landmark State vs Blake decision issued on February 25, 2021, the Washington Supreme Court ruled that the state’s drug possession law was unconstitutional and void because it did not require individuals to have knowledge of the drug possession. As a result, those convicted of drug possession on or before February 25, 2021 became eligible to have their convictions vacated and removed from their criminal record, and their paid court-ordered fines and costs — called legal financial obligations (LFOs) — reimbursed.
It is estimated that over 200,000 felony drug possession charges dating back to the 1970s may be eligible to be vacated in superior courts. An estimated additional 150,000 misdemeanor marijuana charges may also be eligible for vacation. To help offset costs to courts, prosecutors, and defense attorneys, the Washington State legislature approved $47 million for the efforts of vacating hundreds of thousands of possession charges, and adjusting sentences for thousands of incarcerated or supervised persons.
An additional $50 million dollars was set aside to reimburse individuals who paid LFOs as a result of the Blake related convictions. AOC was appointed to lead the work, including establishing a Blake Refund Bureau to administer LFO refunds to impacted individuals.
The Blake Refund Bureau portal will be accessible to the public via a link on www.courts.wa.gov. The refund bureau will provide individuals who have had their Blake convictions vacated a self-navigable database to determine if they have refunds related to their convictions. Refund requests will be submitted through an online application. Once the application has been received and an amount of refund is confirmed by the court, a refund will be issued.
While the portal exclusively operates in the processing of LFO refunds, the site will include resources to guide individuals in clearing their convictions and seeking legal help.
A public outreach campaign by AOC, legal agencies, human rights advocacy groups and lived experts will be undertaken to raise awareness of the Blake Refund Bureau and the relief it may be able to offer.
Said Washington State Court Administrator Dawn Marie Rubio, “The Administrative Office of the Courts is dedicated to working with our justice partners to help inform the vast and diverse Blake-impacted population across Washington State about the potentially life-changing relief opportunities now available to them — collectively working to foster fresh starts and make people whole again.”
The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) was established by state lawmakers in 1957 to provide support for Washington’s non-unified courts through a wide range of services to promote the efficient administration of justice. AOC operates under the direction of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and management from the State Court Administrator.
