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WASHINGTON, Nov. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Friday, November 27, 2009, Disbar Torture Lawyers, www.disbartorturelawyers.com, a group of NGOs representing over a million members, filed complaints with the Washington, D.C. Board of Professional Responsibility requesting disbarment of Bush Administration attorneys John Yoo, Michael Haynes, and Alberto Gonzales. The detailed complaints and supporting documents set forth the illegal and unethical conduct of the attorneys with regard to the issue of torture against detainees held by the United States. All of the legal advice and written opinions of the three attorneys have been rejected and rescinded by the Department of Justice.

The three complaints were filed in the District of Columbia because the attorneys were practicing in Washington at the time of their illegal conduct. Jurisdiction for the filings is based on the McDade Amendment, 28 U.S.C. Section 530B, which states in relevant part, "(a) An attorney for the Government shall be subject to State laws and rules, and local Federal court rules, governing attorneys in each State where such attorney engages in that attorney's duties, to the same extent and in the same manner as other attorneys in that State."

"The evidence is overwhelming that Yoo, Haynes, and Gonzales violated their oath by advocating and allowing torture against U.S. detainees," said attorney and group spokesman Kevin Zeese. "Just as a lawyer cannot ethically advise a police officer to torture a criminal defendant, a government lawyer cannot ethically advise a government employee to torture a detainee. In both cases, the lawyers would be in violation of the law, and would be subject to disbarment. We strongly urge the Department of Justice to release its own OPR investigation into the conduct of these and other attorneys who provided cover for the wholesale use of torture by our government. We are hopeful that the investigation supports our call for disbarment."

Disbar Torture Lawyers has filed bar complaints against 15 lawyers involved in the Bush torture program. These complaints and the three new complaints and supporting documents are posted at www.disbartorturelawyers.com.

SOURCE www.DisbarTortureLawyers.com

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