A sentencing hearing in Las Vegas turned chaotic Wednesday morning when a judge suddenly tried to scramble out of her chair as a defendant hurled himself over the bench, arms outstretched to attack her, courtroom video shows.
Deobra Redden, 30, was in court for a sentencing hearing after he pleaded guilty in November to attempted battery with substantial bodily harm, according to court records.
Video from the hearing shows Judge Mary Kay Holthus suddenly look up as others in the courtroom begin to yell. Redden can then be seen leaping over the bench and pulling Holthus to the ground as flags on either side of her chair fall to the floor. Two people can be seen pulling Redden away from the judge as someone yells “get off her,” according to the video, which has been viewed more than 30 million times on social media.
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Holthus and a courtroom marshal were both injured in the attack, Mary Ann Price, a spokeswoman for Eighth Judicial District Court, said in a statement Wednesday. The judge and the marshal were both taken to a hospital, where Price said the marshal was in stable condition.
Holthus was released on Thursday, Price told The Washington Post. In a statement, the judge thanked “all the well-wishers and others who have expressed concern for me and my staff.”
“I am extremely grateful to those who took brave action during the attack,” Holthus said.
Holthus is set to sentence Redden on Monday in the same case from Wednesday’s hearing, according to Price.
Redden was taken into custody Wednesday on charges of battery and battery of a protected person, online jail records showed. On Thursday, new charges were added, bringing a total of 13 counts against Redden, including extortion, coercion with force, intimidation of a public officer and seven charges of battery of a protected person, according to the jail records. The attorney who represented Redden during his Wednesday hearing did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday evening.
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Just before the attack, Redden’s attorney had asked for a sentence of probation, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
Share this articleShareHolthus can be heard in the video denying the request, telling the attorney: “I appreciate that, but I think it’s time that he gets a taste of something else because I just can’t with that history.” Redden had previously served time in prison for attempted theft and domestic battery, Nevada state records show.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said it is investigating a battery incident, which occurred around 11 a.m. at the Regional Justice Center. Police did not name anyone involved in the incident.
Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the scene in the courtroom was “unbelievable.”
“I’m sure he will be facing consequences for his actions,” Wolfson said in a statement to the paper.
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Holthus became a judge for the Eighth Judicial District Court in 2019 after more than two decades as a prosecutor for the Clark County district attorney’s office. In March, Holthus is set to preside over a trial for six Nevada Republicans who are accused of submitting electoral certificates falsely asserting that former president Donald Trump had won the 2020 election in their state, KLAS reported.
Weapons are barred in the courtroom, where people are instructed to “sit quietly when court is in session,” according to the Eighth Judicial District Court’s website.
In her statement Wednesday, Price praised “the heroic acts of [Holthus’s] staff, law enforcement, and all others who subdued the defendant,” adding that the court is committed providing a safe and secure environment.
“We are reviewing all our protocols and will do whatever is necessary to protect the judiciary, the public and our employees,” she said.
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