Public Defense for Drug Possession in CLJs

With the recent passage of Senate Bill 5536 which addressed possession of controlled substances, counterfeit substances, and legend drugs (PCS), the legislature allocated funds to the WA State Office of Public Defense (WA OPD) to financially assist certain cities and counties with the expense of defending indigent individuals charged with these offenses in courts of limited jurisdiction. Eligible counties are those with populations of 500,000 or less, and eligible cities are those with populations of 200,000 or less.

WA OPD will enter into contracts with interested jurisdictions and reimburse eligible expenses up to the contracted cap amount. The beginning date of the program will be August 15, 2023. As WA OPD begins to plan for this new program, we are seeking helpful information from cities and counties.

A formal application for program participation will be issued in the near future, but your answers to this survey helps us identify which jurisdictions are interested in participation, who the appropriate contact person is in your jurisdiction, and what range of costs/case filings are anticipated. Please respond to this survey no later than Friday, July 14, 2023.