Monday, May 18, 2009

DISBAR THE TORTURE LAWYERS


I like this ...

Twelve former Bush administration lawyers, who helped craft and justify the administration's torture policy, are named in a complaint that calls for them to be disbarred (which effectively prohibits them from practicing law).

According to Raw Story, the complaints were filed against former White House Legal Counsel attorneys John Yoo, Jay Bybee and Stephen Bradbury; former Attorney Generals Alberto Gonzales, John Ashcroft and Michael Mukasey; former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff; former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney David Addington, Alice Fisher, William Haynes II, Douglas Feith and Timothy Flanigan with the state bars in the District of Columbia, New York, California, Texas and Pennsylvania.

The complaint says, in part, "We have asked the respective state bars to revoke the licenses of the foregoing attorneys for moral turpitude" because they "failed to show ‘respect for and obedience to the law, and respect for the rights of others,’ and intentionally or recklessly failed to act competently, all in violation of legal Rules of Professional Conduct.”

While legal incompetence is pretty strong, accusing these people of "moral turpitude" sounds about right too.

- Mark

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