City drops charges, Bergmann Hotel manager ‘vindicated’

City drops charges, Bergmann Hotel manager ‘vindicated’

Charges have been dismissed against the building manager of the Bergmann Hotel.

Charles Cotten was facing criminal prosecution for allegedly recklessly violating a lawful order by a building official, a Class A misdemeanor. He said the City and Borough of Juneau agreed to drop two misdemeanor cases after he agreed to plead no contest and pay a $300 fine for the initial infraction, unlawful continuance of a fire hazard.

Court documents reveal Cotten’s misdemeanor cases were dismissed on Thursday. Assistant municipal attorney Sherri Layne did not return a call for comment Monday.

Cotten, who was led away in handcuffs after city officials condemned the hotel on March 10, said he feels vindicated, but still feels that he was railroaded by the city and by building owner Kathleen Barrett.

“They’re not going to give me a public apology,” he said, adding that he asked city officials for one and did not receive an answer.

Cotten said he met with Layne and warned her that if she took him to trial, he would “make a circus out of it,” telling her they would not be able to prove he was legally liable for the condition of the building.

According to Cotten, the city prosecutor would not elaborate on why his charges were being dismissed, other than to say blame had been cast in the wrong direction.

“I got thrown to the wolves,” he said, claiming that Kathleen Barrett erroneously named him as the day-to-day operations and management.

“She told them she hired me and that was a lie,” he said. “I never got a check from her. She wrote checks to CPR Services. … I was wronged.” All along, Cotten has said he is not legally responsible because CPR Services is the contracted management for the Bergmann.

Cotten said his legal woes have caused him a tremendous amount of stress and he is not sure how involved he will remain with the future of the Bergmann.

“I’m going to watch and see what happens,” he said. “But I am still involved was far as helping them find contractors to fix things. I refuse to leave them high and dry.”

Cotten initially was charged with a minor offense and a misdemeanor for unlawful continuance of a fire hazard, because the hotel failed to correct a list of fire and life safety code violations despite notices issued Oct. 31, 2016, and on March 1, according to court documents.

On March 10, Cotten was taken into custody for violating his conditions of release on the previous misdemeanor charge; he was also charged with a new count of reckless or intentional violation of a lawful order of the building official.

Clarification: This article states that charges were dismissed against Cotten. The Empire should specify that all criminal charges were dismissed against Cotten. Charges were not dismissed against him for the non-criminal minor offense infraction of unlawful continuance of a fire hazard; he pleaded no contest to that offense and paid a fine.


• Contact reporter Liz Kellar at 523-2246 or liz.kellar@juneauempire.com.


More in News

(Juneau Empire file photo)
Aurora forecast through the week of Nov. 3

These forecasts are courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Geophysical Institute… Continue reading

Republican U.S. House candidate Nick Begich and his supporters wave campaign signs at the corner of the Seward Highway and Northern Lights Boulevard on Nov. 4, 2024, the day before Election Day. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
Begich leads in early results, with Alaska’s U.S. House race too close to call

About 102,000 ballots had been counted by 9 p.m., and Peltola trailed by about 5 percentage points

A voter is handed as ballot at Woodworth School in Dearborn, Mich., on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. One of the most consequential presidential elections in the nation’s modern history is well underway, as voters flocked to churches, schools and community centers to shape the future of American democracy. (Nick Hagen/The New York Times)
Trump ‘likely to win the presidency’ as he holds advantage in key swing states

Former Republican president has 95+% chance of victory as of 9 p.m., according to NY Times forecast.

Juneau Assembly members and other visitors gather in the entrance lobby of the Michael J. Burns Building on Monday, April 8, 2024, as part of their on-site tour of potential locations for a new City Hall. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
‘Office space shuffle’ for city workers continues with plan to buy part of Michael J. Burns Building

CBJ would purchase two floors, Permanent Fund Corp. would keep top floor under “condo” agreement.

Christopher Moore helps another Juneau homeless resident wheel her belongings from a makeshift campsite on private property near the airport on July 15. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
‘Dispersed camping’ worked better overall than homeless campground, Assembly members told

Scattered camping sites in Juneau less troublesome than fixed site last year, deputy city manager says.

Lemon Creek voters enter the Alaska Electric Light Power building as polls open at 7 a.m. on Tuesday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Juneau voters keep turning out in large numbers as Election Day arrives

“It’s bigger than I’ve ever seen here before,” longtime precinct chair at one voting location says.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Police calls for Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

A long line of voters waits Monday at an early voting station at the Mendenhall Mall annex. Voting locations around Juneau will be open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire)
Election Day in Alaska: When to expect results, and what to look for

First results should be posted online about 9:15 p.m., based on prior schedules.

Voters at Anchorage City Hall wait in line to cast their ballots on Monday, the day before Election Day. City hall, in downtown Anchorage, was one of the designated early voting sites in the state’s largest city; however, it is not an Election Day polling site. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
How to vote in Alaska: Options abound, but the deadline is almost here

In-person, mail, electronic and fax voting still possible on Election Day.

Most Read