A judge in Las Vegas, Nevada, suffered a terrifying ordeal when a defendant jumped the barrier and attacked her.
Clark County District Judge Mary Kay Holthus was knocked from her seat by Deobra Delone Redden as he took exception to proceedings during his felony battery case.
In incredible scenes at the Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas, Redden jumped over a defense table and the judge’s bench landing on top of Judge Holtus, whereupon court officials jumped in to defend the judge, brawling with Redden before he was brought under control.
WATCH: Nevada Judge Mary Kay Holthus attacked during sentencing of man charged with attempted battery pic.twitter.com/K1lHsy8gAE
— BNO News (@BNONews) January 3, 2024
Judge Holthus fell back against a wall in the attack and sustained injuries, although none serious enough to require hospital treatment. However, a courtroom marshal who intervened to apprehend Redden was not so fortunate – he was sent to the ER with a gash on his forehead and a dislocated shoulder.
Redden was swiftly arrested after this attack and will now face a range of new charges related to it, including battery on a protected person. The irony of this incident is that Redden – who wasn’t in custody – was asking for leniency in a case relating to a previous arrest for allegedly attacking someone with a baseball bat.
Unsurprisingly, in the wake of this incident, staff at the Regional Justice Center are reviewing their protocols and assessing where they can enhance the safety of the judiciary, employees and the public.
