A Las Vegas judge was attacked in her courtroom on Wednesday when a man lunged at her while he was being sentenced.
According to 8 News Now, Clark County District Court Judge Mary Kay Holthus was delivering her sentence for 30-year-old Deobra Redden on an attempted battery with substantial bodily harm charge when the incident took place. Redden appeared to be set off by Holthus saying, “I think it’s time he get a taste of something else,” in response to his attorney requesting a punishment of probation.
The full interaction, excerpted below, occurs after the 6:50 mark above.
Holthus is said to be okay after hitting her head. A marshal was allegedly injured.
“Thank God the judge is okay,” Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said in a statement. “Thank God for the heroic efforts of those who came to her aid, especially her marshal and her law clerk. Without them, the situation would have been much worse as this defendant exhibited extremely violent behavior and I’m confident there will be consequences.”
The station reports Redden previously appeared before Holthus on a malicious destruction of property charge, but she was not the judge who handed down his prison sentence.
Court documents claim Deobra Redden was charged with attempted battery with substantial bodily harm after an interaction on April 23 where he “[threatened] to bust the kneecaps” of another man, “resulting in substantial bodily harm.” Over the next few months, Redden entered a state behavioral facility and was later found to be competent.
Holthus issued a warrant for his arrest in December following his absence from a court appearance in which he pleaded guilty the previous month.
As Wolfson suggested, Redden will certainly face further consequences for his stunt.