“I would rather it be me than her…”: Coban Porter, brother of Nuggets forward, sentenced to six years in prison for role in drunken fatal crash

Coban Porter was sentenced to six years in prison for the drunken automobile accident that killed Katharina Rothman, who was a mother and injured another. He will also serve two years for a related charge that will run concurrently, plus three years parole. He was also given one day of pre-sentence confinement credit.

Porter is the brother of Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr..

Porter arrived at the Lindsey-Flanigan Courthouse with a large party, and more came after. They took up the entire left side of the courtroom, all of the jury seats and a section of the back row on the right. Family members of the victim and representatives of the District Attorney’s office sat and filled out the remainder of the right side. Porter’s arresting officer, Aaron Botts, stood on the left side of the room.

Following a few cases, Porter’s was picked up from the docket at 9:12 AM MT, but Judge Ericka Englert summoned DA Austin Leighty and Porter’s attorney, Harvey Steinberg, to the bench for nine minutes for a quiet discussion.

Six family members plus Leighty spoke on behalf of Rothman. First was her mother, Connie Johnson.

“This pain and trauma have become my worst reality,” Johnson said. “I stand here before you today, but all at the same time, I am elsewhere. On Jan. 22, 2023, my life ended with my sweet, innocent daughter, Katharina Rothman.”

The DA’s office advocated for the maximum eight-year penalty.

Leighty said, “He was driving more than 50MPH in a 30MPH zone… From the videos that were submitted, the light that Ms. Rothman was going to be driving through and tried to drive through was green at the beginning of the video. The crash occurred 23 seconds into [the video]. For 23 seconds, [Porter’s] light was red.”

Then friends and family of Porter spoke for him, including his brother Michael, who wasn’t planning on talking but wanted to offer his perspective on character.

“Coban was the one who [while I was growing up], that pushed me to achieve… He was the one I looked up to, even though I’m the oldest brother. I truly don’t think I would be in the position I am [in] today as a professional basketball player if I didn’t have a brother like Coban push me every day.”

Michael continued, adding that he wished to take his brother’s place. He posted the $2,000 bond payment for his brother following the arrest.

Lisa Porter said her son is remorseful for the crash and prays for the Rothman/Johnson family. “He has pleaded with God, to help them, to do something, to bring honor to Katharina.”

Subsequently, Steinberg defended his client, saying no one had suffered more than him throughout the case. On top of that, he said, “I hate to even say this, but maybe some good can come out of this… maybe Judge, if you choose, you can fashion a sentence that allows him to try to make up for what he’s done by making this world a better place, and by deterring others for making the tragic mistake he made in his youth, instead of simply saying ‘sorry’ and having that cell slam behind him.”

Porter talked last. He said he could never make up for the wrong, but that he is sorry, wishing it was him who died instead of Rothman. He said he wants to make a difference for people who were like him, too.

Next, Porter was cuffed and taken away.

Englert approved Denver7 and 9News’ request for expanded media coverage for the sentencing hearing, despite the defense’s objection. Englert had previously denied the application of expanded media in her courtroom for the Oct. 17 arraignment date.

While the case was in the arraignment stage, Englert allowed Porter to live out of state and agreed to remove GPS tracking on him, in spite of the DA’s objections. Then, his permanent address was then listed in Denver, now Columbus, Missouri.

Steinberg had no comment after the hearing.