Joshua Cotton was scheduled to be sentenced in Christian County Circuit Court on Tuesday morning for the 2021 murder of Alijah Watts. However, Cotton informed Judge John Atkins that he wanted to hire a new attorney to defend him.
Cotton was found guilty of murder, first-degree robbery, and theft following a September jury trial with a recommended 45-year prison sentence attached to the verdict.
However, Cotton’s public defender Brandi Jones filed a motion for a new trial shortly after the verdict which delayed the sentencing. On Tuesday, Cotton informed the court that he wanted a new attorney to represent him moving forward.
click to download audioJudge Atkins agreed with Cotton’s position that his legal journey had reached a critical fork in the road.
click to download audioCotton still faces other felony charges which Judge Atkins said further complicates a simple and immediate sentencing.
click to download audioCommonwealth’s Attorney Maureen Leamy said the delay in sentencing will give her office time to consolidate the indictment and have Cotton’s other felony charges heard at one time and perhaps add to the total sentence if he is found guilty of the additional charges.
click to download audioWhile Judge Atkins agreed to continue the case for Cotton to obtain new legal counsel, he informed him that he would not go unrepresented and that he couldn’t fire Jones as his attorney, but could only replace her with a new one.
click to download audioThe Christian County jury found Cotton guilty of shooting Watts during an attempted robbery at Casey’s General Store on Fort Campbell Boulevard over two years ago. Watts, a former standout athlete at Hopkinsville High School, drove from the scene but crashed his car and died before he could reach the hospital.
Hopkinsville Police said Christian McKeel drove then 17-year-old Jonathan Weston and then 16-year-old Cotton to Casey’s with intent to commit a robbery. A struggle ensued and that’s when the 19-year-old Watts was shot in the abdomen.
McKeel was accused of helping Cotton and Weston leave the scene.
In November, McKeel was sentenced to 11 years in prison – six years on a second-degree robbery charge and five years on a facilitation to murder charge.
Also in November, Weston withdrew a motion to be sentenced as a juvenile and was given an 8 ½ year prison sentence with no probation.
Although juveniles at the time, both Cotton and Weston were charged as adults.
