A Nevada presiding judge was attacked Wednesday by a disfigured defendant in a felony assault case, who jumped onto the bench, flailed his arms and landed on top of her, sparking a bloody brawl involving court staff and lawyers. did.
The attack and the ensuing chaos were all captured on video from a Las Vegas courtroom.
It shows the moment Clark County District Judge Mary Kay Holthus fell against a wall and sustained injuries as her assailant continued his attack. Court officials said she was not hospitalized.
Deobra Delone Redden, 30, was pinned to the floor behind the judge's bench by several court, prison and court staff members, some of whom appeared to throw punches during the scuffle. This included those who were also seen.
On Wednesday, a Nevada judge was attacked by a defendant in a felony assault case who jumped over both the defense table and the judge's bench.
A court statement said the judge “suffered some injuries.” The defendant was arrested and now faces new felony charges. pic.twitter.com/O25wF2RwOR
— Associated Press (@AP) January 4, 2024
AP report Shortly before the attack, Ms Redden, who was in court to be sentenced for an earlier attempted assault, urged Judge Kay to show leniency, telling him: “I'm not a rebellious person.''
But when she made it clear she intended to put him in jail, court officials moved to handcuff him, and Redden yelled expletives, lunged forward, and jumped over the judge's bench.
The abused felon was later arrested and booked into the Clark County Detention Center, where records show he faces multiple new charges, including assault on a protected person. The Associated Press report points out that this has been confirmed.
This image from a video provided by Clark County District Court shows a defendant holding his head in his hands after jumping onto a desk during sentencing in a felony assault case in Las Vegas, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024. Judge Mary Kay Holthus is shown holding the court. (Clark County District Court, via AP)
“It happened so fast that I didn't know what to do,'' said Redden, who was charged in the case stemming from his arrest last year for allegedly attacking someone with a baseball bat. said Chief County District Attorney Richard Skow.
In a statement obtained by The Associated Press, court spokeswoman Mary Ann Price said the agency is “reviewing all protocols and will do whatever it takes to protect the judiciary, the public, and our employees.” ” he said.
