On July 6, the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) shared an informational sheet outlining how the $72.5 million allocated by the Legislature to address the impacts of the State v. Blake decision will be distributed.

The disbursement plan is split into three categories:

1. Resentencing and vacating;
2. Legal financial obligations;
3. Funding for therapeutic courts in courts of limited jurisdiction.

The resentencing and vacating category will receive a one-year allocation of $44.5 million to assist counties with the cost of resentencing and vacating the sentences of defendants affected by Blake. The legal financial obligations category will receive a one-year allocation of $23.5 million to be used to reimburse legal financial obligations paid by defendants seeking refunds.

Cities will have access to the third category (funding for therapeutic courts in courts of limited jurisdiction). The AOC will provide $2.25 million over two years in grants for therapeutic courts operated by municipal courts. Information about when the funding will be available and in what manner is forthcoming.

For more information, please contact Ramsey Radwan, AOC Chief Financial and Management Officer, through July 31, 2021, at ramsey.radwan@courts.wa.gov or 360-704-4020. Beginning August 1, 2021, please contact Christopher Stanley, AOC Chief Financial and Management Officer at christopher.stanley@courts.wa.gov or 360-704-4020.