Five years ago, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled in the landmark case State v. Blake that the state’s drug possession law was unconstitutional. That decision led to hundreds of thousands of reversals and had huge impacts on Washington’s drug policies, as well as numerous individual lives.
Shannon Blake, the center of this defining case and who was represented by Washington Appellate Project attorney Richard Lechich, remarked that the decision would give many people like her a second chance at life. Ms. Blake unfortunately passed away in 2023, but her case continues to bring hope to many.
This article from Cascade PBS highlights the historical and ongoing impact of Ms. Blake’s case five years later, and includes an interview with Mr. Lechich.