A man who was caught on video attacking a judge in a Las Vegas courtroom by vaulting over her bench and desk has been sentenced to decades in prison.
Deobra Redden, 31, was sentenced on Tuesday to serve between 26 and 65 years in a Nevada prison for his violent assault on Clark County District Court Judge Mary Kay Holthus, KLAS-TV reported.
The attack occurred on January 3, as Judge Holthus was about to deliver Redden’s sentence in a separate felony battery case. The shocking incident was captured on courtroom video, showing Redden leaping over the judge’s 4-foot-high bench and grabbing her hair. The 62-year-old judge fell back against a wall as an American flag toppled over both of them during the struggle. While Judge Holthus sustained injuries, courthouse officials confirmed that she was not hospitalized.
Redden pleaded guilty but mentally ill in September to charges including attempted murder, ending his trial shortly after Judge Holthus testified about the terrifying attack. “I feared for my life,” Holthus said, recounting the moment Redden launched himself toward her.
In court Tuesday, Redden addressed the judge and the court, insisting he did not intend to kill Holthus. “I’m not making excuses for my actions, but I’m saying I’m not a bad person and I know that I did not intend to kill Mary Kay Holthus,” he said, according to KLAS-TV.
Redden’s defense attorney, Carl Arnold, had previously stated that Redden was not taking his prescribed medication for schizophrenia at the time of the attack. Arnold emphasized the role of Redden’s untreated mental illness, noting that the plea “reflects a delicate balance between accepting responsibility for a regrettable incident and recognizing the impact of Mr. Redden’s untreated mental illness at the time.”
The violent courtroom assault shocked onlookers and underscored the challenges faced by individuals with untreated mental health conditions. With his lengthy prison sentence now set, Redden will remain behind bars for decades, marking a significant conclusion to a case that began with an attack Judge Holthus will never forget.