420 with CNW — Washington State Announces Online Portal to Process Reimbursements for Illegal Drug Prosecutions
Washington State recently announced an online portal aimed at facilitating the payment of legal fees for those who were charged with crimes under drug criminalization statutes that were later ruled illegal by the state Supreme Court in 2021. The newly established Blake Refund Bureau website, initiated by the state AOC, is a collaborative effort involving public defenders, courts, advocates, prosecutors, county clerks and other stakeholders. The site’s primary objective is to provide relief to those impacted by the shortcomings in the state's drug possession charges penal code. The court determined that the existing statutes may potentially criminalize accidental possession because…