Washington state justices strike down drug possession legislation

SPOKANE, Clean. — The Washington Supreme Court docket has struck down the state’s felony drug possession legislation for the reason that it isn’t going to involve prosecutors to prove that another person knowingly or intentionally possessed prescription drugs.

The ruling came in the case of a Spokane female who experienced acquired a pair of jeans from a close friend that had a small bag of methamphetamine in a pocket.

5 justices claimed in the decision Thursday the state legislation was unconstitutional for the reason that it criminalized her passive, unknowing perform, in violation of her due course of action protections. 

Another justice would have overturned the woman’s conviction by decoding the regulation as demanding evidence that the medicine have been possessed deliberately.

Attorneys say a Washington Supreme Courtroom selection hanging down the state’s felony drug possession regulation could outcome in tens or hundreds of thousands of convictions becoming vacated.

It could also necessarily mean shorter sentences for several latest prisoners executing time for other crimes if past drug possession convictions boosted their offender scores.  

“We’re all in shock,” claimed state Agent Gina Mosbrucker, R-Goldendale. 

Mosbrucker said the ruling could direct to the launch or reduction of sentences for thousands of point out and county inmates. 

In addition to group safety problems, Mosbrucker said she is fearful about the impression on people who get into drug therapy just after they are arrested. 

”It’s heartbreaking. We have a heart for individuals who are struggling from habit, unquestionably, but you can find not the infrastructure current out there at this time, in buy to get them the enable that they will need,” Mosbrucker claimed. 

Democratic Sen. Manka Dhingra stated point out lawmakers can clarify, or rewrite the law, but she explained the deadline has passed in the legislative session to introduce new costs. 

She did not know if legislators would take up the difficulty this calendar year. 

“This is a enormous conclusion, it seriously does have penalties that we are just attempting to figure out,” Dhingra reported. “It does change our system upside down rather a little bit, for the reason that we just have so significantly, so lots of drug conviction conditions, on our textbooks.” 

The Seattle Law enforcement Department and Pierce County Sheriff’s Office environment claimed officers and deputies will no for a longer period arrest someone solely on the possession of prescription drugs and drugs discovered in all those circumstances will not be confiscated.

“This ruling does not effects any other charges that may well be evident to officers throughout an come upon….This ruling also does not restrict officers’ capacity to perform investigations involving other unlawful drug exercise. Even so, officers need to have sensible suspicion or possible induce to investigate people other crimes,” SPD’s directive reported, in element.

King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg urged lawmakers to amend the drug possession legislation to make it comply with the condition structure.

“Even though there will be a major amount of operate important to comply with this ruling in the courthouses through the condition, it is equally significant that the Legislature consider ways now to amend this statute to correct the defect found by the Supreme Courtroom. The Legislature should really act with a sense of urgency to insert the vital features to make this statute constitutional this session, and not depart a defective statute on the textbooks,” he wrote on his site.

He also explained his business has not prosecuted any individual for being in possession of a lot less than a gram of any drug due to the fact 2018.

You can read through the court’s full ruling here.