Coban Porter pleads not guilty to vehicular homicide, assault DUI and related charges
Courtroom 5B of the Lindsey-Flanigan Courthouse
DENVER– Coban Porter, the former University of Denver student basketball player and brother of Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr, pleaded not guilty to vehicular homicide, assault DUI, and related charges stemming from a fatal accident on Jan. 22 that took the life of a mother, Katharina Rothman, and injured another while she worked for Uber. The case will now head to a motions hearing on Nov. 16 and a disposition on Nov. 30. A four-day trial was scheduled to start on March 18.
Porter was joined in court by his father, Michael Sr., his mother, Lisa, and sister, Cierra, with three friends. The members of Rothman’s family in attendance included her mother, Connie Johnson, her husband Michael and seven family members. .
Three weeks ago Porter’s family requested to meet with Johnson’s. Johnson agreed to let him know how she felt.
“It was very emotional for all of us that day, both sides of the family,” Johnson said.
Judge Ericka Englert denied a request by 9News for expanded media coverage on Oct. 17 for the Oct. 19 arraignment, per Matt Jablow, communications director for the Office of the District Attorney.
While the arraignment process continued, Englert permitted Porter to reside out of state and agreed to remove the GPS tracking requirement despite the DA’s objections. Porter has been ordered to take a daily breathalyzer test but is no longer forced to take random UA tests (urine analysis), per court documents.
At the Aug. 24 arraignment, the judge also allowed contact to be made between Porter and Rothman’s family on the condition that he does not harass, molest, retaliate or intimidate witnesses or victims. Porter apologized to Johnson that day for the accident. Over a phone call in late August, Johnson said Porter was remorseful and sincere, but that she could not forgive him, nor that he asked for it.
On the night of the crash, Porter was bailed out by his brother Michael, on a $20,000 bond (10% payment), per court documents.
On Sept, 1., Rothman's family, friends, representatives of the DA’s office and corporal Aaron Botts, Porter’s arresting officer, gathered for remembrance under the city’s memorial sign in her honor at the corner of East Buchtel and South University Boulevard. Elected DA Beth McCann told reporters in a scrum that morning that her office requested a $50,000 bond for Porter but was denied. Magistrate Michelle Kline made that decision, per court documents.
Johnson was angry after Porter’s plea because she was hoping he would say he was guilty.
“I'm over it,” Johnson said. “I just wish everything would be over with… it’s very stressful.”
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Update to this story: https://www.fivereasonssports.com/voices/mateos-hoop-diary-coban-porter-brother-of-nuggets-forward-changes-plea-to-guilty-in-vehicular-homicide-and-vehicular-assault-case/