Could Jed York Lose the 49ers? Legal Experts Explain What the NFL Owner’s Plea Means
Legal and sports business experts weigh in on what discipline, if any, the NFL might enact against 49ers owner Jed York.
San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York in Santa Clara, California. Photo:
A misdemeanor plea just put an NFL owner’s future in the league’s hands.
San Francisco 49ers principal owner Jed York pleaded no contest this week to misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and possessing criminal tools, after being arrested in Ohio on suspicion of engaging in prostitution.
The NFL says it’s aware of the matter
The NFL says it’s aware of the matter and will review it under the league’s personal conduct policy, raising the question of what, if anything, comes next.
Could York lose his position?
Jodi Balsam, professor of clinical law at Brooklyn Law School and former NFL counsel for operations and litigation, told Inc. that the process the league follows in cases like this is fairly straightforward once a guilty plea is involved.
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“The typical framework in an incident that comes to the attention of the sports league that might implicate the personal conduct policy is, step one, investigation,” she said. Additionally, she added that leagues can investigate even without a conviction, but a guilty plea removes much of the uncertainty that usually complicates these cases.
Often, the biggest hurdle these leagues have is,
“Often, the biggest hurdle these leagues have is, how do you get people to cooperate and be forthcoming and be truthful,” she said. “That won’t necessarily be an issue here.”
Robert Boland, sports attorney and professor of sports management and sports law at New York University, echoed that owners face real exposure under the policy, even if the most severe outcomes are unlikely here. “Owners are under the personal conduct policy and can be suspended or potentially even separated from the league,” he told Inc.
Source: www.inc.com
