Washington State Supreme court strikes down law that made unintentional possession of drugs a crime
The Washington Supreme Court this week struck down a law that made it a felony to unknowingly possess illegal drugs in the state.
A majority of justices ruled Thursday that the "strict liability" drug possession law, which made any illegal drug possession a felony, was unconstitutional.
"The court correctly recognized the injustice of convicting people for innocent conduct," Richard Lechich, who argued the case before the court, told The Seattle Times. "While the decision cannot rectify the harm this law caused to so many communities, particularly communities of color, it at least puts an end to it."
The state initially adopted the "strict liability" law in the 1950s and upheld it as "simple possession" in two instances since then. On Thursday, the justices decided that a felony conviction in a case where a person may have obtained drugs through "innocent, passive conduct" was a harsh penalty.
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