Frequently Asked Questions about the Inquest Program

An inquest is an investigative, fact-finding inquiry into and review of the manner, facts and circumstances surrounding the death of an individual following an interaction with law enforcement or while in the custody of law enforcement. An inquest is not a trial and does not determine guilt or innocence or civil liability.

King County holds inquest hearings because the public has a strong interest in knowing what happened when a person died as a result of an interaction with law enforcement or while in the custody of law enforcement or corrections. The King County Charter requires an inquest when the actions or inactions of a member of law enforcement may have contributed to a death. The Executive also has discretion to order an inquest where a death occurs under suspicious circumstances.

The Inquest Program reviews investigative records provided by the Prosecuting Attorney's Office (PAO) and any other records it considers necessary. The Inquest Program then provides a recommendation to the Executive, who will decide if an inquest will occur.

For more information about the PAO review of fatal incidents involving law enforcement or corrections officers, incidents of police use-of-force, and in-custody deaths, please visit the Prosecuting Attorney's Office Public Integrity Team page.

Unless extenuating circumstances exist, an inquest hearing will ordinarily not be held:

1. Where a death was the result of:
   1. natural causes,
   2. a traffic accident,
   3. an overdose, or
   4. a suicide; and
2. When no reasonable jury would find that a law enforcement officer was criminally responsible for the death.

The Inquest Program Manager is required to maintain a comprehensive list of people who have died in King County following an interaction with law enforcement or while in the custody of law enforcement or corrections. The Medical Examiner, Prosecuting Attorney, and all law enforcement agencies are required to notify the Inquest Program Manager in writing whenever they become aware of a person's death following an interaction with law enforcement or while in the custody of law enforcement or corrections. The Inquest Program Manager may also use other sources to prepare the list.

Yes. Inquest hearings and proceedings are open to the public and the media. Inquest hearings are held in person and are livestreamed. Each inquest hearing is also recorded and those recordings are available through the Inquest Program website.

Unless otherwise noted on an individual inquest's page, all hearings take place at:

King County Courthouse
Courtroom E-753
516 Third Ave.
Seattle, WA 98104

Inquest Program Manager

• The program manager is in charge of running the Inquest Program and supervising the Inquest Administrators and the Inquest Program Attorneys.
• The program manager assigns each inquest case to the Inquest Administrator and the Inquest Program Attorney.

Inquest Administrator

• The Inquest Administrator presides over the inquest hearing. The Administrator acts as a neutral hearing officer for the inquest proceedings. This role is often filled by retired judges.
• The Inquest Administrator may ask the King County Superior Court to issue pre-hearing subpoenas for witnesses and documents at the direction of the Inquest Administrator.
• The Inquest Administrator issues subpoenas for witnesses to testify at the inquest hearing.

Inquest Program Attorney

• The Inquest Program Attorney (IPA) is an attorney licensed in Washington who helps the Inquest Administrator run the inquest proceedings.
• Like the Inquest Administrator, the IPA is a neutral party in the proceedings.
• The IPA helps prepare the inquest case.
• During the inquest hearing, the IPA makes an opening statement, introduces the witnesses, takes testimony from the witnesses, and introduces evidence to the jury.

Jury Members

• At the beginning of the inquest hearing, the Inquest Administrator will select a panel of six jurors from the Superior Court's general jury pool to answer questions about the circumstances surrounding the death of the individual.
• After the IPA is finished asking questions of a witness, the jurors are allowed to submit questions that the jury would like to ask the witness. The Inquest Administrator will review the proposed juror questions and will determine whether the witness will be asked the proposed question(s).
• At the end of the presentation of evidence, the jury will deliberate and give a verdict by answering questions, called interrogatories, in writing about what happened.
• The jury will make findings regarding the cause, manner, and circumstances of the death including whether the death was caused by criminal means. RCW 36.24.070

Any person who is subpoenaed by the Inquest Administrator is required to testify at the inquest hearing. The Inquest Administrator determines who the witnesses are and issues subpoenas for their testimony. This generally will include the involved officer(s), any other persons present at the time of the decedent's death, the lead detective who investigated the death, the Medical Examiner who conducted the autopsy, and likely any other witnesses with knowledge of the facts. The involved law enforcement or corrections agency may designate someone to testify about any applicable policies and trainings as they relate to the death.

Yes, any person can be subpoenaed to testify as a witness if it is determined that the person has knowledge of the facts and circumstances of the death.

Yes. Any person in our community may exercise their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Because an inquest hearing is not a criminal proceeding, this right must be exercised and determined on a question-by-question basis. If the right is determined to not apply to particular questions, the witness will be directed by the Inquest Administrator to answer such questions.

No. A restorative justice process may not be done instead of an inquest hearing because the King County Charter requires that an inquest take place for any death involving a law enforcement or corrections officer in King County. However, there is nothing in the inquest process that prohibits the interested parties from engaging in restorative justice processes if they so choose.

Generally, no. The purpose of the inquest is to determine the facts about what happened in the death of a certain person. An officer's discipline history does not give the jury information about the facts of a particular incident.

• RCW Chapter 36.24
• King County Charter Section 895
• King County Code 2.35A.090
• King County Code 2.16.025
• King County's 2025 Executive Order on Inquests

The documents and discovery materials received by the Inquest Administrator can only be used for the inquest proceedings. The documents could include agency investigative file(s) of the incident that resulted in the death, the report of the medical examiner, crime laboratory reports, and the names, addresses, and summaries and/or copies of statements of any witnesses obtained by any party.

If any person asks for documents from the inquest file, King County Public Records officials will review the request and respond. Get more information about county public records.

The 2025 Executive Order regarding inquests created a Deadly Incident Review and Recommendation Panel. The panel will meet regularly to review jury findings and other details from each inquest. Panel members will also examine the statutes, policies, rules, practices, and training that apply to law enforcement in these cases. Panel members will recommend ways to improve law enforcement standards and procedures to decrease deaths and other adverse outcomes during an interaction with law enforcement or corrections officers, while preserving the safety of officers and the public. The panel's recommendations are advisory only, and do not have any binding effect. Read more about the panel.