Man Sentenced to 26-65 Years for Attacking Judge in Las Vegas Courtroom

A man who was filmed attacking a judge in a Las Vegas courtroom has been sentenced to decades in prison. Deobra Redden, 31, was sentenced on Tuesday, December 10, to a prison term ranging from 26 to 65 years for the assault on Clark County District Court Judge Mary Kay Holthus.

Redden had pleaded guilty but mentally ill in September to attempted murder and several other charges, bringing an end to his trial just after Judge Holthus testified about the terrifying moment she feared for her life during the attack. According to KLAS-TV in Las Vegas, Redden had vaulted over the judge’s 4-foot-high (1.2-meter-high) bench and landed directly on top of her.

The incident took place on January 3, just as Judge Holthus was preparing to deliver Redden’s sentence for a separate felony battery case. Security footage from the courtroom captured the violent scene, showing Holthus, 62, being knocked backward into a wall as Redden aggressively threw himself over her bench, grabbing her hair and causing an American flag to topple onto them both.

Despite the intensity of the attack, Holthus was not hospitalized, although she did suffer some injuries, according to courthouse officials.

Redden’s defense attorney, Carl Arnold, explained that his client was not taking his prescribed medication for his diagnosed schizophrenia at the time of the assault. Arnold noted in September that Redden’s plea was a reflection of “a delicate balance between accepting responsibility for a regrettable incident and recognizing the impact of Mr. Redden’s untreated mental illness at the time.”

During Tuesday’s court proceedings, Redden expressed remorse for his actions, clarifying that he never intended to harm the judge. “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 stated.

Redden will be eligible for parole sometime after 2050.