Courtroom cameras captured a dramatic scene on Wednesday when a Clark County District Court judge sentenced felon Deobra Redden, age 30, after he pleaded guilty to attempted battery with substantial bodily harm.
In the video, as judge Mary Kay Holthus reads out the sentence, Redden suddenly jumps over the bench and tries to attack her. Three people had to restrain Redden. Judge Holthus, who is 62, was injured but appears to be in stable condition after the attack. A court martial who helped restrain Redden was taken to the hospital afterwards, but is reported to be in stable condition as well, according to a spokeswoman for the court.
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Redden has a criminal history that includes multiple charges of domestic violence. He previously served time in prison in 2021 for domestic battery.
“I feel like I shouldn’t be sent to prison but if it’s appropriate for you then you have to do what you have to do,” Redden can be heard telling the judge just a few minutes before he lunged at her. “I just figure I’m in a better place in my mind and my mental health. I have a support system… The reason behind every single domestic violence is I’ve been dealing with mental health [problems] that I didn’t know I was dealing with.”
Redden’s lawyer asked judge Holthus to give Redden probation instead of returning him to prison, but the judge denied the lawyer’s request. “I appreciate that but I think it’s time he gets a taste of something else because I just can’t with that history,” Holthus can be heard saying right before Redden lunged at her.
In a statement to the New York Times, the Eighth Judicial District Court thanked those who restrained Redden. “We commend the heroic acts of her staff, law enforcement, and all others who subdued the defendant,” said the court. “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.”
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