In 2019, the legislature removed Second Degree Robbery (Robbery 2) from the list of offenses designated as “most serious offenses” (strikes) for which three convictions require the sentence of life without parole (LWOP). In 2020, there were about 62 individuals serving life without parole in Washington who have Robbery 2 convictions as one of their strikes. Nobody who was sentenced before them, or after 2019, has Robbery 2 counted as a strike. SB 6202 would have retroactively removed Robbery 2 from the “most serious offenses” list and allowed these individuals to make the case for their safe return to the community. Working with the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (WACDL), NACDL issued a legislative action alert to its members and advocates in Washington in support of SB 6202.
Three Strikes
NACDL and the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers supported legislation to make certain changes to Washington’s three strikes law retroactive.
