Five men seated in the Butler County Prison library Wednesday morning decided it might just be time to call a lawyer.

Those men, members of the Butler County Prison Board, considered the possibility of hiring an independent legal counselor as big decisions about the construction of a new county prison are imminent.

Granted, two of the men, Butler County President Judge Thomas Doerr and District Attorney Tim McCune, already have law degrees.

And the county's solicitor, Julie Graham, already attends all of the board's meetings.

But with the enormity of the new prison project looming, the board members thought it wise to consider bringing in someone independent.

Already, Commissioners James Kennedy and Glenn Anderson have abstained from at least two major prison board decisions, citing their concern that their votes could be seen as conflicts of interest when they later address the same issue from the commissioners' office.

Kennedy and Anderson did not attend Wednesday's prison board meeting. But those who did attend, including Doerr, McCune, Sheriff Dennis Rickard, Controller Jack McMillin and Commissioner Scott Lowe, said they also did not want any appearance of conflict in taking advice from Graham.

The issue will be studied further.