A newly elected district court judge poised to take the bench next month in Montana’s 20th Judicial District will not proceed with the oath of office amid felony drug charges filed against him this week in Lake County.
Prosecutors allege Kenneth Britton “Britt” Cotter, a criminal defense attorney from Polson who voters in November elected to serve in the 20th Judicial District representing Lake and Sanders counties, bought or tried to buy cocaine from an individual on multiple occasions over a roughly 14-month period beginning in March 2022.
Cotter is charged in Lake County with one felony count of solicitation to commit criminal distribution of dangerous drugs and two additional felonies for attempted criminal possession of dangerous drugs. He faces a maximum sentence of 35 years in the Montana State Prison and a fine of $60,000…