Bill Summary:

• AN ACT Relating to providing relief for persons affected by State  v. Blake; amending RCW 9.94A.640, 9.96.060, and 72.09.480; adding a new section to chapter 42.56 RCW; and adding a new chapter to Title 9 RCW.

What the Bill says:

• Any person with a qualifying conviction is eligible to have such conviction vacated by the sentencing court under this chapter. The restrictions under RCW 9.96.060 and 9.94A.640 do not apply to motions or applications filed under this chapter. Any person with a qualifying conviction or qualifying nonconviction is eligible for a refund of all legal financial obligations, collection costs, and document-verified collateral costs paid as a result of the qualifying conviction or qualifying nonconviction as provided in this  chapter.

Our Summary Opinion:

• At what point is a crime a crime? When it becomes not a crime, but it was when it was committed, why am I expected to pay anything back to any person who actually committed the crime when it was still classified as a crime???
  The sheer insanity of this crazy type of legislation is ridiculous.
  Pulling the fiscal sheets I see how much they estimate it will cost us in the millions and millions but I can’t really tell how they achieved the amount since there is no delineation for a start and stop date.
  I do not understand why the police, the courts and the local governments are having to pay restitution for doing their jobs. You will never convince me that this is right.
  When you all decide that murder is not a crime and we have to pay restitution to everyone who we locked up for that crime and we have to let them out of jail I will be scared to death for my life. However I suspect that will be your next step because this step is just that, a step in the process of destroying our society.
  Make it criminal to possess regardless of knowledge of possession and stop the insanity of reimbursements for past crimes.