Blake Relief Day to provide legal support for drug conviction vacations

WENATCHEE — On July 18, people with Blake-related drug possession convictions in Washington state can seek financial and record-clearing assistance at the first-ever “Blake Drug Possession Relief Day.” This event will take place at the Chelan County Courthouse, located at 350 Orondo Ave., fourth floor, in Wenatchee.

From 9 a.m. to noon and 1–4 p.m., a collaborative effort of judicial organizations, local courts, prosecutors, and judges will be on hand to help people determine whether their past drug possession convictions qualify for relief under the State v. Blake Washington Supreme Court ruling. For those with qualifying convictions, legal aid groups will manage the vacate-and-refund process, providing a timely, efficient, and direct route to constitutional relief.

State v. Blake was a landmark 2021 WA State Supreme Court case that held that the existing drug possession law in effect at the time, RCW 69.50.4013, which has since been updated, was unconstitutional, since it criminalized “unknowing possession,” meaning that people could be convicted even if they had no idea that illegal controlled substances were on their person or otherwise in their possession — i.e., someone left it in their car or a backpack or somewhere the person was not aware of.

As a result of the decision, people who have been convicted under qualifying circumstances are eligible to have their convictions vacated and expunged, and any fines and legal fees reimbursed. The State v Blake ruling has far-reaching implications, affecting over 200,000 felony drug possession charges dating back to 1971. An estimated 150,000 misdemeanor marijuana charges are also eligible for vacation.

The free event is open to members of the public who believe they have a misdemeanor Blake-eligible conviction. Advance registration at https://BlakeReliefDayChelan.eventbrite.com is encouraged, as it allows organizers to identify qualifying cases beforehand and streamline efforts on the day of the event. For those unable to attend in person, the website also offers extensive resources, helplines, and a list of legal aid contacts for convictions in counties other than Chelan.

“Here in Chelan County, we wish to do our part to vacate these convictions so those persons affected can move forward,” said Chelan County District Court Judge Allen Blackmon. “It is essential to ensure people are not burdened by convictions that, by law, should never have existed.”

A topically-related 2022 University of Washington study found that mass assistance days reduced recidivism, improved perceptions of the judicial system, and increased participants' quality of life.

Funds for reimbursement for convictions in Chelan County will come from money set aside by the state legislature after the ruling, not from any local increases or fees.

"This is an unprecedented effort," said Robin Zimmermann, Blake External Relations Liaison for the Washington State Administrative Office of the Courts, "with no related instances of a state issuing hundreds of thousands of vacations and refunds at one time."

Again, advance registration is encouraged, and the event is one day only, although the Blake Refund Bureau is available any time.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media