Attorney defends Rodman

Tim Graham

Wednesday, June 10, 1998 | 10:45 a.m.

Dennis Rodman's attorney has seen this before.

"We view this as part of the price of Dennis' fame," Richard Howell said.

Howell was responding to a lawsuit charging his client, the eccentric Chicago Bulls forward, with battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress on a Mirage craps dealer last October.

The lawsuit was filed in Clark County District Court on behalf of dealer James Brasich by attorney Michael Koning. It alleges Rodman repeatedly rubbed the bald plaintiff's head, stomach and groin with the dice before rolling them.

"When you're high-profile, you're famous, and aspects of your character are notorious," Howell said, "some people will try to find a way through the legal process to exploit that."

Brasich is seeking $300,000 in compensatory and punitive damages for "substantial humiliation, embarrassment, indignity, degradation and anger ... (over) such despicable conduct."

Howell, who wouldn't estimate the number of lawsuits that have been filed over the years against his client, contended the timing of this case indicates Brasich is trying to strike it rich at Rodman's expense.

The Bulls are playing the Utah Jazz in the NBA Finals. Chicago leads the best-of-seven series two games to one, heading into tonight's Game 4.

"The allegations are almost a year old," Howell said. "We see it as no coincidence these charges are resurfacing at a time when there is high exposure with the NBA Finals. We feel the allegations are frivolous and we will vigorously fight them.

"I haven't even contemplated settlement. They have made some demands on us we feel are outrageous."

Brasich, 51, denied a secret agenda.

"I'm not a litigious person," he said. "This is my first legal action ever. I was reluctant to do anything like this. However, dealing with the emotions involved and the stress it caused me in my further employment and my work performance, (Rodman's) actions more or less dictated I do this."

The dealer claimed he faxed a complaint to Rodman through his agent, Dwight Manley, within two weeks of the alleged incident.

"When it initially happened I sent a letter to Rodman stating how embarrassed I was, how outraged I was," Brasich said. "And all I got was a phone call from (Howell) saying it was only horseplay, that Rodman does this all the time. (Howell) offered me a nuisance fee."

Brasich said he suffered emotional distress as a result of the 6-foot-7, 228-pound Rodman's boorish behavior. The strife was compounded, he noted, by taunts and barbs from fellow Mirage employees.

"A female craps dealer asked me after it happened if I got aroused," Brasich recounted. "Or someone else would see Rodman on TV and say 'There's your (boyfriend).'"

With an ailing, 79-year-old father at home, Brasich said he used the six months allotted by the Family Leave Act to organize his life.

Brasich, a 16-year Mirage employee, returned to work May 13 and discovered "things just picked up where they left off." That's when he decided to move forward with the lawsuit.

Rodman, 37, was banned from The Mirage late last year for an accumulation of transgressions. Most incidents stemmed from drunken disorderly conduct and abusive language to staff and guests.