Assault Unfolds: Defendant Attacks Nevada Judge During Sentencing in Las Vegas Courtroom Drama
Shortly after a defendant in a felony battery case attempted to persuade a Nevada judge that he was turning his life around and didn’t deserve imprisonment, the sentencing took a chaotic turn. The incident unfolded on Wednesday, with courtroom footage capturing the dramatic scene in Clark County District Court. Defendant Deobra Delone Redden, facing 13 charges, including extortion and coercion with force, vaulted over the defense table and the judge’s bench, instigating a violent altercation involving court officials and attorneys.
Nevada
The video footage depicted Judge Mary Kay Holthus falling back against a wall as Redden grabbed her hair during the abrupt leap over the judge’s bench, causing a brawl that involved the toppling of an American flag. Although Judge Holthus sustained injuries, she did not require hospitalization, according to courthouse officials.
Redden, held on $54,000 bail, refused to appear in court on Thursday for new charges. Consequently, a judge rescheduled his next appearance for January 9. The additional charges included seven counts of battery on a protected person, referring to the judge and officers who intervened.
During the violent episode, Redden had to be forcibly removed from the judge by multiple court and jail officers, as well as courtroom staff members. The ensuing struggle resulted in injuries, with one courtroom marshal hospitalized for a bleeding gash on his forehead and a dislocated shoulder.
The chief county district attorney, Richard Scow, described the incident as happening so rapidly that it was challenging to respond appropriately. Redden’s criminal history, marked by mostly violent offenses, includes three felonies and nine misdemeanors. District Attorney Steve Wolfson argued that Redden poses an extreme danger to the community and is a flight risk, advocating for his detention without bail.
Redden’s defense attorney, Caesar Almase, declined to comment on Thursday. At the sentencing hearing, Redden, not in shackles or jail attire due to a prior deal with prosecutors, pleaded for leniency, asserting his commitment to doing the right thing. As the judge indicated her intention to incarcerate him and the court marshal moved to take him into custody, Redden vehemently objected, using expletives and charging forward. Records reveal Redden’s previous prison term in Nevada on a domestic battery conviction.
Judge Holthus, with over 27 years of courthouse experience, was elected to the state court bench in 2018 after a career as a prosecutor. The rescheduling of Redden’s sentencing was not immediately announced.
