While we often criticize radical judges for their “catch and release” policies that lead to more crime on the streets, it’s only fair that we applaud the ones who do their job, even when threatened or put at risk.
Clark County, Nevada, Judge Mary Kay Holthus appears to be one of those.
On Wednesday, Holthus was about to sentence 30-year-old Deobra Redden when the criminal leaped over the bench and knocked Holthus from her chair, slamming her head against the wall and ripping out some of her hair.
Her law clerk, Michael Lasso, attempted to intervene but was unable to stop the attack. Holthus crawled under her desk, covering her face to shield herself, according to KTNV-TV in Las Vegas.
The video, which went viral on social media, shows a crazed Redden practically going airborne as he leaped over the judge’s desk to attack her.
Full video of the man who attacked a Clark County judge in court after she denied his permission
On January 3, 2024, Deobra Delone Redden, a 30-year-old defendant, attacked District Judge Mary Kay Holthus during a sentencing hearing in a Las Vegas courtroom The incident occurred pic.twitter.com/8X7BCs4tiS— Mustafa Shaikh (@Mustafa50704573) January 4, 2024
Redden reportedly slammed the judge’s head against the wall and ripped some of her hair out.
KTNV described the arrest report after the attack as painting a “chaotic scene with blood spatter and documents scattered across the courtroom.”
According to KTNV, the arrest report shows the chaos was compounded when two marshalls were wrongly informed of a panic alarm in courtroom 3G while the actual incident was occurring next door in courtroom 3F.
Redden later told marshals that the judge “had it out for him” and was “evil,” asking if what he did was wrong. At the detention center, he spit on an officer and uttered that he “had a bad day and tried to kill the judge.”
Redden launched his attack on the judge after she refused to release him bail.
According to KLAS-TV in Las Vegas, Redden can be seen asking the court for leniency, despite having a long rap sheet.
“Basically, I would like to tell the courts and everyone here, based on my criminal history, like, I feel like I shouldn’t be sent to prison for a second time,” Redden said, according to KLAS.
“Have you looked at your criminal history?” the judge asked Redden, going on to list his long criminal record, which included felonies, battery, robberies and domestic violence convictions.
But Redden contended that he was in a “better place in his mind,” and that he had realized he had a problem with his “mental health.”
Should this judge throw the book at the suspect?
Holthus was back on the bench the very next day after the attack and now she’s doubling down — filing an order for Redden to be brought before her again so she can finish his sentencing.
According to the report, the judge has ordered officers to bring Redden into her courtroom on Monday “by any and all means necessary.”
Redden may have thought he could either convince or frighten the judge into setting him free, but Holthus has held her ground, as every good judge should.
Unfortunately for Redden, he picked on the wrong judge, and on Monday, he is almost certainly going to severely regret it.
