Former King County Judge To Lead WA's New Police Investigations Office

OLYMPIA, WA — Gov. Jay Inslee has appointed a former King County judge to serve as director of the state's Office of Independent Investigations (OII), an agency created by the legislature last year to oversee comprehensive reviews of killings at the hands of law enforcement agencies across the state.

The governor on Wednesday named Roger Rogoff as head of the OII, and his appointment will take effect June 16. Rogoff graduated from Emory University before earning his law degree from the University of Washington.

According to Inslee's office, Rogoff's criminal justice experience spans 27 years, including 13 spent as a senior deputy prosecuting attorney in King County, six years as an assistant U.S. attorney, and two years as a criminal defense attorney, before serving as a judge in King County Superior Court. He also served on the Washington State Criminal Justice Task Force.

Most recently, Rogoff worked as legal counsel for data privacy and public safety matters at Microsoft.

"As a superior court judge, Roger was deeply committed to considering cases through a lens of strict impartiality and objectivity, but without losing sight of the humanity of those involved in the cases," Inslee said Wednesday. "And as a member of the task force on sentencing reform, he demonstrated a commitment to improving outcomes within our legal justice system through collaboration with a diverse array of stakeholders."

The governor said an OII advisory board recommended Rogoff's appointment for the top job, which noted his enthusiasm for the role, and Inslee agreed he was the right man for the job after meeting with him.

"I appreciate the governor's faith in my ability to lead the new Office of Independent Investigations, and humbled by this incredibly hard-working, thoughtful Advisory Board's recommendation," Rogoff said in a statement. "In my years working within our state's criminal justice system, I have met many of those involved in the discussions that led to the creation of the OII. I intend to lead an agency that conducts excellent investigative work, free from influence, with the goal of ensuring justice by learning the truth behind these incidents."

State lawmakers approved the OII's creation in 2021 as part of an effort to provide thorough and unbiased investigations into deadly use of force by law enforcement, without the involvement of a police agency. According to The Seattle Times, Rogoff will be instrumental in creating and managing regional teams to handle such investigations across the state, which are currently being handled by detectives from neighboring agencies.

OII investigators will have the authority to review previous uses of deadly force and, after July 1, will have jurisdiction to deploy directly to scenes of violence to collect evidence and begin an investigation.