Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Courts’ Blake Refund Bureau urges outreach after vacatur ruling; $31 million still unclaimed
Summary
Administrative Office of the Courts staff told the committee that a 2021 Washington Supreme Court decision has required vacating decades of drug-possession convictions; the Blake Refund Bureau has returned about $10 million so far and said roughly $31 million remains available while outreach and administrative work continue.
Christopher Stanley, chief financial and management officer at the Administrative Office of the Courts and manager of the Blake Refund Bureau, briefed the Substance Use Recovery Services Advisory Committee on the bureau’s work to vacate old drug-possession convictions and return legal financial obligations to affected people.
Stanley summarized the legal background: a 2021 Washington State Supreme Court decision invalidated the drug-possession statute as written, requiring courts to vacate qualifying convictions dating as far back as the statute’s passage. "In 2021, the Washington State Supreme Court found that the law criminalizing drug possession was unconstitutional," he said,…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
