Blake Refund Bureau Spotlight

For our March edition of Washington Courts Report, host Patric Haerle interviewed the AOC’s own Chris Stanley, the Chief Financial and Management Officer for the AOC, and Robin Zimmermann, the Blake External Relations Liaison on the important work of the Blake Refund Bureau.

In 2021, the Washington State Supreme Court found the law criminalizing drug possession unconstitutional. As a result of this decision, known as State v. Blake, any Blake-related convictions in Washington State qualify to be vacated from one's criminal record, and any legal financial obligations paid as a result qualify for financial reimbursement.

To administer these reimbursements statewide, the Washington State Legislature determined a centralized bureau would be instrumental. AOC was appointed the task of developing the Blake Refund Bureau in collaboration with local courts and county clerks, public defenders, prosecutors, impacted individuals, advocacy groups and other stakeholders, which launched July of 2023.

Highlights of the episode include the history of the Refund Bureau, a clip from a Blake-impacted Individual on how having their record vacated has helped them and insight into how much money has been refunded to Blake-impacted individuals and how much is still slated for distribution. 

We want to hear from you about how we can best improve the show! If you have any feedback, suggestions, or ideas for future episode topics please email them to Patric.Haerle@courts.wa.go