State Supreme Court declines request to release more inmates
OLYMPIA — A divided state Supreme Court on Thursday swiftly denied a petition that sought the release of thousands of inmates from state prisons to better protect them from contracting COVID-19.
In a 5-4 decision, the court concluded inmates who filed the request failed to show the state was failing to address the COVID-19 risk or that the state’s actions “constitute deliberate indifference.”
The ruling came hours after a hearing in which justices wrangled with whether the state is doing enough to protect prisoners from contracting COVID-19 — and if not, whether large-scale release of prisoners would be reasonable.
“We are asking for an extraordinary remedy to fit an extraordinary moment,” attorney Nicholas Straley of Columbia Legal Services, the organization representing the imprisoned petitioners, said during arguments Thursday morning.
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/supreme-court-urged-to-release-more-inmates-due-to-covid-19/
