These coaches say some colleges, emboldened by the N.C.A.A.'s inattention and lenient penalties, have teams with student-athletes who played as professionals.

Outraged at what they viewed a lenient penalty, some residents, including the president of the local N.A.A.C.P. chapter, accused the authorities of letting Ms. Potter off the hook to keep her client list secret.

The state division was scheduled to hear Bracho's appeal next week when the agreement was reached on a more lenient penalty.

DECEMBER 1999 - The committee hands down relatively lenient penalties against the doctors.

The most lenient penalty would be a reprimand, entailing no loss of privileges.

His proposal was that mafiosi would get more lenient penalties (in particular the relaxation of the 41-bis prison regime) in return for recognizing the existence of Cosa Nostra and the authority of the Italian state.

Prosecutors and other officials have intensified the pressure on judges to stiffen what they see as lenient penalties meted out to thieves.

"Gao also voluntarily reported others' offenses and provided important clues for cracking other cases, a contribution to win him a lenient penalty and a reprieval of five years," the agency said.

The issue was added to the agenda in response to a Times report last week that showed how some colleges, emboldened by the N.C.A.A.'s inattention and lenient penalties, have fielded teams with student-athletes who played as pros.

Ms. Stewart was sentenced on July 16 to five months in prison followed by five months of home confinement, which Ms. Patrick called "the most lenient penalty the judge believed she could impose under the sentencing guidelines."