Defendant Attacks Nevada Judge During Vegas Courtroom Sentencing

By Better Today On Jan 4, 2024

TL/DR –

During a sentencing hearing for a felony battery case in Nevada, Deobra Delone Redden leaped over the defense table, attacked and injured Judge Mary Kay Holthus. Now facing 13 counts including extortion and coercion with force, Redden injured several court officers during the attack, with one hospitalized due to his injuries. Redden, who had been released from custody as part of a plea deal, was deemed “an extreme danger to the community and a flight risk” by the district attorney.

Defendant Attacks Nevada Judge in Courtroom, Sparks Brawl

A defendant in a felony battery case, Deobra Delone Redden, caused a brawl in a Las Vegas courtroom moments after asking a Nevada judge for leniency. Redden jumped over the defense table and judge’s bench, landing on the judge, and causing a fight with court officials and attorneys, as captured by courtroom video.

Clark County District Court Judge Mary Kay Holthus suffered minor injuries but wasn’t hospitalized after Redden grabbed her hair, knocking over an American flag onto them. The defendant, jailed on $54,000 bail, faces 13 counts including extortion, coercion with force, and battery on a protected person.

Several court and jail officers wrestled Redden off the judge. One marshal required hospital treatment for a dislocated shoulder and bleeding forehead. Richard Scow, the chief county district attorney, expressed shock at the speed of the event. He was prosecuting Redden for a previous baseball bat attack.

Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson highlighted Redden’s criminal record of violent offenses, including three felonies and nine misdemeanors. He suggested Redden be held without bail as a community threat and flight risk.

Redden was unshackled at the sentencing hearing as part of a deal in which he pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of attempted battery. In the courtroom, he asked for leniency, describing himself as a person who never stops trying to do the right thing. When the judge announced her intention to jail him, Redden attacked.

Redden, a Las Vegas resident, was previously found competent to stand trial. He has served prison time in Nevada on a domestic battery conviction. Judge Holthus, attacked by Redden, has more than 27 years of legal experience and was elected to the court bench in 2018.