KING COUNTY, Wash. — Death inquests could start again in King County after years of delays now that County Executive Dow Constantine issued an executive order bringing the county's inquest process in line with a Washington State Supreme Court ruling.
Inquests are administrative, fact-finding investigations that occur whenever a law enforcement officer is involved in a person's death while on the job.
Constantine's latest executive order allows for inquest panels to determine whether a person killed by law enforcement died by "criminal means," an amendment to a previous executive order fought for by family members of several people killed by King County law enforcement.
Constantine initially issued several executive orders concerning death inquests in 2018 providing families of those killed by law enforcement attorneys through the Department of Public Defense and expanding the fact-finding scope of the inquest to include testimony about training and policies as well as determining if the officer involved followed protocol.
The executive orders previously barred law enforcement officers from participating in inquests unless they agreed to testify, but that was amended in another executive order in 2020. Officers may still be subpoenaed to testify at trial like any other witness.
Several cities around King County, along with the King County Sheriff's Office, sued in response to the orders, arguing it was not within Constantine's authority to make changes to the inquest process, but their objections were largely struck down by the Washington State Supreme Court in a July 15 ruling.
Inquests into the deaths of several people, including Charleena Lyles, Damarius Butts and Isaiah Obett were on hold during the court proceedings. The King County Executive's office hopes to restart inquests as soon as possible, according to a release.
"After years of delay, we can finally begin to deliver answers for the public, and for the families of those who have died in an interaction with the state," said Constantine. "With today's action, I am also directing our Inquest Program to move with all deliberate speed to restart inquests so that we can start to take steps toward clarity, accountability and closure."
