As the nation’s attention is captured by the manslaughter trial of New Jersey Nets star Jayson Williams and the impending sexual assault case against Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, the issue of criminality in professional sports once again comes sharply into focus. Williams and Bryant are but two of the latest professional athletes to find themselves at the center of controversy in a criminal court rather than a sports arena. When athletes are accused of serious criminal activity, it is often a headline-grabbing ordeal that can leave a sports organization or league in the media glare like a deer in headlights.

The impact of such criminal charges on athletics will be explored during an afternoon panel discussion at the DePaul University Sports Law Winter Symposium scheduled for 9 a.m. Feb. 20 at the DePaul Center, 1 E. Jackson Blvd., Room 8005. Other panels will discuss such topics as the challenges facing women athletic administrators; the legal examination of injured athletes; negotiating stadium and endorsement deals; the globalization of sports and the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) relationships with universities. The sports criminality panel will be held at 2 p.m. on Feb. 20. Cost for the conference is $75 and $25 for students with identification.

“When athletes are arrested and charged with crimes, it is a very high profile situation because sports are high profile,” said Ray Waters, a DePaul law professor and advisor for DePaul’s Journal of Sports Law & Contemporary Problems, which is sponsoring the event. “If your accountant is in a drunken brawl, it is not likely to make the front page of the newspaper. This is not the case for many college and professional athletes. Administrators, agents, coaches, general managers and the like all have to consider the impact of arrests and trials and negative media coverage on the industry.”

Panelists for the discussion will include:

Adolpho Birch, general counsel, National Football League (NFL). He will discuss how the NFL deals with athletes in trouble and whether the league or individual teams should take action.

Kristina Marticzak, attorney with the law firm of Miller Canfield in Detroit. She will discuss what is involved in defending high-profile athletes and entertainers.

Scott Bearby, general counsel for the NCAA. He will discuss how the NCAA and universities handle situations when college athletes run afoul of the law.

Tim Frost president of Frostmotor Sports, a Wilmette, Ill-based consulting agency specializing in car racing. Frost will discuss how the racing industry handles charges of criminal behavior by its drivers.

Lester Munson, an attorney and editor of Sports Illustrated. Munson has covered the prosecutions of such sports notables as boxer Mike Tyson, sports commentator Marv Albert; NFL superstars Ray Lewis, Rae Carruth and Mark Chmura; and basketball superstar Bryant.

The sports criminality discussion, which will be moderated by WLS-TV news anchor Hosea Sanders, also will examine how media coverage of athletes charged with crimes can lead to both a trial in the courtroom and in the court of public opinion. It will also touch on how a professional or college athlete behaving badly has the potential to trickle down and influence recruiting decisions at the high school level. “Many high school students don’t understand that whether they get recruited or not does not depend on athletic performance alone,” said Waters. “Other influences, such as who they hang out with and if they have a criminal record, are considered as well. The sports law conference will touch on this and many of the other issues raised by criminality in athletics.”

For more information, call Jim Tragos, editor, Journal of Sports Law & Contemporary Problems at 312/362-5420.

Note to editors: Reporters wishing to cover this story should contact Valerie Phillips, DePaul Media Relations, at 312/362-5039 or 312/330-3155 (cell).