A shocking incident unfolded in a courtroom when a convicted criminal, Deobra Delone Redden, launched a violent attack on district court Judge Mary Kay Holthus.
In response to his sentence, Redden jumped over the bench and began punching the presiding judge, prompting officers to intervene.
Judge Attacked During Sentencing
On Wednesday (January 3), Judge Mary Kay Holthus was gearing up to sentence Redden. He was at the Clark County District Court in Nevada Las Vegas for an attempted battery charge with substantial bodily harm.
He had pleaded guilty to the crime in November 2023. But law enforcement officers arrested him the following month after failing to attend a court appearance.
However, before his sentencing on Wednesday, his attorney had requested that the judge consider placing him on probation. The lawyer claimed Redden had made several positive changes in his life that didn’t reflect the man he was when he was first charged with the crime.
Redden also took the time to address Holthus on his behalf, adding that he’d been “in a better place in my mind” and recently started working a new job, per WPDE-TV.
He continued to stress that his support system had helped him tremendously to stay on the right path since his arrest. His testimony seemed to be an attempt to get the judge to lighten his sentence.
“I feel like I shouldn’t be sent to prison, but if it’s appropriate for you, then you gotta do what you gotta do,” Redden continued.
Redden’s attorney backed his claim by acknowledging the probation programs he had previously completed as well as his mental health history.
But the request for a suspended sentence fell flat with the judge, as Redden’s run-in with the law in November wasn’t an isolated incident. He has faced past charges that include domestic violence, home invasion, and battery on a protected person.
“I appreciate that, but I think it’s time that he get a taste of something else,” the judge responded. “Because I just can’t with that history.”
Redden responded by leaving his seat and jumping over the bench with verbal and physical aggression.
Police Reportedly Investigating The Court Room Assault
Redden targeted the judge, who barely had time to react before he was upon her. The circulating video seemingly shows him relentlessly assaulting her with multiple punches to the head.
Several officers chased Redden and attempted to pull him off Holthus, while one person in the viral video asked, “Is she okay?”
News3LW reports that following the incident, both Holthus and Redden were taken to a hospital for examination.
Police have reportedly opened a criminal investigation and filed new charges against the convict for his latest attack.
