Washington ( CNN ) -- No employees of NBC will face criminal charges over the display of a high-capacity ammunition magazine on a `` Meet the Press '' program in violation of local law in Washington , prosecutors told the network on Friday . The capital city 's attorney general , Irvin Nathan , said in a letter to NBC there would be no charges , but added that it was `` a very close decision . '' Nathan also said `` there is no doubt of the gravity of the illegal conduct in this matter , especially in a city and a nation that have been plagued by carnage from gun violence . '' The letter also confirmed the 30-round magazine displayed by show host David Gregory on December 23 was empty . At the time , Gregory was interviewing Wayne LaPierre of the National Rifle Association , a strong opponent of new gun control proposals . Nathan said the network used the magazine with the `` purpose of informing an ongoing public debate about firearms policy '' not long after the school shooting massacre in Newtown , Connecticut . Even an empty magazine violates city law . Conviction carries a possible sentence of up to a year in jail as well as a possible fine of up to $ 1,000 . A police spokeswoman said that NBC asked before the program whether it would be legal to show a high capacity magazine on air and was told no . An official with the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives told CNN he consulted with city police after receiving a similar request from NBC and was told an empty magazine would not be a problem . The official passed the information to NBC , but later learned there was a `` miscommunication '' with police and that showing an empty magazine would , indeed , violate the law . The official said he did not give NBC permission to use a magazine . In his letter , Nathan referred to `` feeble and unsatisfactory efforts '' made by NBC to find out what it could legally do . `` Although there appears to have been some misinformation provided initially , NBC was clearly and timely advised by a ( Metropolitan Police Department ) employee that its plans to exhibit on the broadcast a high capacity magazine would violate D.C. law , and there was no contrary advice from any federal official , '' Nathan said . He added that any uncertainty about the law was unjustified . `` Meet the Press '' issued an e-mailed statement following Nathan 's decision . `` We displayed the empty magazine solely for journalistic purposes to help illustrate an important issue for our viewers , '' the show said . `` We accept the District of Columbia Attorney General 's admonishment , respect his decision and will have no further comment on this matter . ''
' Meet the Press ' host displayed empty high - capacity ammo magazines on air . The prosecutor said city ordinance violated , but no charges will be filed . NBC 's efforts to demonstrate what it could do legally were unsatisfactory , prosecutor says . Show followed school bus massacre in Newtown , Connecticut .