In a violent episode caught on video, a man who had been rejected probation, launched an attack on a judge during his sentencing in a Nevada courthouse on Wednesday (3rd January).
Deobra Redden, 30, appeared in court in Las Vegas on Wednesday morning (local time) for a sentencing hearing after pleading guilty to attempted violence with significant bodily damage, according to a spokesman for the Eighth Judicial District Court in a statement.
Redden is seen jumping over a courtroom bench onto Judge Mary Kay Holthus in a video of the hearing that has since then gone viral on social media. Flags behind the bench are seen falling to the ground. The bench hides Judge Holthus and Redden from view for a few seconds in the video while cursing can be heard in the background. Three men can be observed seconds later attempting to overpower Redden while striking him repeatedly for attacking the judge.
United States of America- A judge in Las Vegas was today attacked during a live hearing after she denied probation for a career felon pic.twitter.com/OtkHrXAi3k
— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) January 4, 2024
“Judge Holthus, 62, was injured, and her condition is being monitored, the court spokeswoman said. A court marshal was also injured and taken to a hospital, where he was believed to be in stable condition,” the spokeswoman said.
“We commend the heroic acts of her staff, law enforcement, and all others who subdued the defendant,” the Eighth Judicial District Court said in a statement. “The court remains committed to a safe and secure courthouse and courtrooms. We are reviewing all our protocols and will do whatever is necessary to protect the judiciary, the public, and our employees,” it added.
The Police Department said in a statement that did not name anyone engaged in the incident that two victims were transferred to the University Medical Centre with non-life-threatening injuries and that the suspect was in custody.
Redden’s counsel requested Judge Holthus to sentence him to probation just before he jumped over the bench. “I appreciate that, but I think it’s time he gets a taste of something else. I just can’t with that history,” Judge Holthus said as she refused probation considering the criminal background of Redden.
According to court records, Redden has already served time in jail, notably in 2015, when he was sentenced to a minimum of 19 months in prison for attempted theft. According to Nevada Department of Corrections records, Redden spent time in 2021 as well for domestic assault.
As per the Eighth Judicial District Court, Judge Holthus joined the Clark County bench in January 2019 after serving for almost 27 years in the district attorney’s office in Clark County.
Visitors are searched for guns and other unlawful objects before entering a Clark County courthouse, according to the rules of the Eighth Judicial District Court. In addition, visitors are asked to sit quietly in the courtroom.
Courthouses are typically secured, but in certain cases, security officers have also been targeted. According to the Justice Department, a man was previously sentenced to 46 months in prison last year for attacking a court security officer at the Lloyd D. George Federal Courthouse in Las Vegas in 2022.
