No Prosecution, But Possible Disbarment For Lawyers Who Drafted The Interrogation Memos

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Tuesday rejected the Obama administration's claim that a lawsuit involving extraordinary rendition must be halted for national security reasons, and reversed a lower court dismissal of the lawsuit. (ABC News Photo Illustration)

Torture Memos: Inquiry Suggests No Prosecutions -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — An internal Justice Department inquiry has concluded that Bush administration lawyers committed serious lapses of judgment in writing secret memorandums authorizing brutal interrogations but that they should not be prosecuted, according to government officials briefed on its findings.

The report by the Office of Professional Responsibility, an internal ethics unit within the Justice Department, is also likely to ask state bar associations to consider possible disciplinary action, which could include reprimands or even disbarment, for some of the lawyers involved in writing the legal opinions, the officials said.

The conclusions of the 220-page draft report are not final and have not yet been approved by Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. The officials said that it is possible that the final report might be subject to further revision but that they did not expect major alterations in its main findings or recommendations.

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More News On The CIA Interrogation Memos

Source: No charges seen over interrogation memos -- AP
Justice Likely to Urge No Prosecutions -- Wall Street Journal
DOJ nears completion of 'torture memos' probe -- Politico
Torture lawyers want report amended -- UPI
Bush Officials Try to Alter Ethics Report -- Washington Post
2 authors of Bush administration torture memos under pressure -- China View
Sanctions, Not Charges, Expected for Lawyers Who Drafted CIA Memos -- Wall Street Journal
Draft report urges that lawyers who wrote harsh CIA interrogation memo not face criminal charges -- Chicago Tribune

My Comment: This will kill the legal departments who are responsible for providing legal opinions and advice on sensitive national security or military affairs. When one looks at the persecution of these officials, no lawyer in his right mind would want to have such a job.