Bar pilot’s appeal rejected by judge

<p>A federal judge has rejected an appeal by the Petaluma bar pilot who was sentenced to 10 months in prison for his role in the 2007 Cosco Busan oil spill.</p><!-- Nothing to do. The paragraph has already been output --><p>On Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston denied John Cota’s request to cut the sentence in half.</p><p>Last week, Cota’s attorney Jeff Bornstein filed documents with the court claiming that prosecutors misled the court about penalties adopted in the wake of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill.</p><p>Illston called that incident a “lesson for everyone” in her remarks before sentencing Cota earlier this month.</p><p>But Bornstein said lawmakers did not intend to lengthen prison sentences through tougher environmental laws adopted after the Valdez incident.</p><p>Bornstein asked that Cota be allowed to serve half his sentence through home confinement.</p><p>But on Tuesday, Illston said she believes the 10-month sentence is appropriate and in line with what Congress intended. Cota is scheduled to be jailed in September.</p><p>— Argus-Courier</p>