FLC OF AN MLG OPERATED AN UNAIRWORTHY ACFT WHEN THEY FAILED TO OBTAIN A WRITTEN ACFT RELEASE FROM MAINT PRIOR TO FLT AFTER AN INSPECTION OF A LIGHTNING STRIKE.

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UPON ARRIVING IN THE HOTEL LOBBY IN DETROIT; MY CAPT INFORMED ME HE HAD BEEN CALLED IN HIS ROOM AT XX30 PM BY THE CAPT WHO HAD FLOWN THE ACFT WE WOULD BE TAKING OUT. THE ACFT HAD BEEN STRUCK BY LIGHTNING ON APCH INTO CHICAGO MIDWAY THE EVENING BEFORE. MAINT HAD BEEN CALLED OUT TO INSPECT THE ACFT AT CHICAGO. IN THE RUSH TO UNLOAD; REBOARD AND ASSOCIATED ACTIVITY THE CAPT WAS INFORMED THE INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED AND THE ACFT WAS FINE AND COULD CONTINUE ON ITS LAST LEG FOR THE NIGHT TO DETROIT. THE CAPT AT THIS TIME CONCURRING THAT HE COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE SYS DEPARTED FOR DETROIT. MY UNDERSTANDING IS UPON ARR AT DETROIT METRO HE WAS INFORMED BY COMPANY PERSONNEL THAT MAINT NEEDED TO TALK TO HIM. AT THIS TIME HE WAS REMINDED THAT THE ACFT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE HAD AN AIRWORTHINESS RELEASE TO CONTINUE AFTER THE LIGHTNING STRIKE. AFTER MUCH DISCUSSION WITH MAINT AND DISPATCH IT WAS AGREED TO THAT THE INSPECTION WOULD BE WRITTEN UP AND A NEW AIRWORTHINESS RELEASE PUT IN THE LOGBOOK WHEN THE ACFT LANDED IN CHICAGO THE NEXT MORNING. (THE FIRST LEG THE NEXT MORNING WAS DET-MDW ON WHICH I WAS A CREW MEMBER). (THIS WAS ALL DISCUSSED BTWN MY CAPT AND THE CAPT BRINGING THE ACFT IN THE NIGHT BEFORE AT XX30 PM AT OUR HOTEL VIA PHONE). MY CAPT DESCRIBED THE EVENTS AND SIT TO ME ON THE WAY TO THE ARPT. I DID DISCOVER EVIDENCE OF A LIGHTNING STRIKE ON THE ACFT UNDER THE CAPT'S COCKPIT WINDOW AREA AND ON THE TAIL AREA (FO SIDE) UNDER AND BEHIND THE APU INLET AREA. I RELATED THIS INFO TO THE CAPT AFTER PREFLT. I AGREED WITH THE CAPT THAT SINCE THE ACFT HAD BEEN INSPECTED BY OUR A&P'S AT MDW AND SAID IT WAS FINE; I TRULY BELIEVED THE ACFT WAS FINE TO FLY BACK TO MDW; THAT WE SHOULD FLY THE SCHEDULED TRIP AND HAVE THE PAPERWORK FINISHED AT THAT TIME. UPON ARR AT MDW OUR MECHS MET US AT THE GATE TO DISCUSS THE SIT. AFTER THEY REINSPECTED THE ACFT IT WAS DECIDED BY THEM THAT THE ACFT SHOULD BE TAKEN TO THE HANGAR FOR FURTHER INSPECTION ON TOP OF THE FUSELAGE AND FOR THE REQUIRED REPAIRS. THIS WAS A LOT MORE THAN WE WERE ORIGINALLY LED TO BELIEVE WAS NECESSARY BY OUR CAPT; MAINT AND DISPATCH; ALL OF WHOM MY CAPT HAD HAD LENGTHY DISCUSSIONS WITH THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT AND EARLY THAT MORNING PRIOR TO OUR XC30 AM CST PUSH BACK. WE REALIZED AT THIS POINT WE HAD REALLY FLOWN AN ACFT THAT HAD INCOMPLETE PAPERWORK EVEN THOUGH THE ORIGINAL INSPECTION HAD BEEN COMPLETED TO SATISFACTION AND THE ACFT VERBALLY RELEASED BY OUR A&P'S AT MDW THE PREVIOUS NIGHT.