LAS VEGAS– A Nevada judge was back on the job a day after being attacked by a defendant in a battery case, which was captured on courtroom video as he charged forward and “supermanned” across the judge's bench after it became clear he was a prison sentence was sentenced. an official said Thursday.
According to Chief Judge Jerry Wiese, the defendant, Deobra Redden, will face Clark County District Court Judge Mary Kay Holthus again Monday morning for his rescheduled sentencing.
At a news conference Thursday, Wiese shared a statement from Holthus, who fell back from her chair into a wall when the defendant landed on top of her and grabbed her hair, causing an American flag to fall on them. Holthus suffered some injuries and was examined but not hospitalized, court officials said.
“She wanted me to thank all the well-wishers and others who have expressed concerns about her and her staff,” Wiese said. “She is extremely grateful to those who took courageous action during the attack.”
In a bloody brawl, Redden had to be wrestled away from the judge Wednesday morning by her law clerk, Michael Lasso, and several court and jail officials — including some who threw punches. One marshal in the courtroom was hospitalized for treatment of a bleeding gash on his forehead and a dislocated shoulder, and Lasso was treated for cuts on his hands.
Wiese praised Lasso for his quick action, saying he was the “primary person” who took the defendant away from the judge “and likely saved her from more serious injuries.”
Redden, 30, was ordered held on $54,000 bond in connection with the attack, but declined to return to court Thursday on the new charges. That's why a judge postponed his next appearance to January 9. Records show he faces 13 charges, including extortion and coercion. with power. Seven of the new charges relate to a protected person, referring to the judge and officers who came to her aid.
“It happened so quickly that it was hard to know what to do,” said Richard Scow, the county's chief prosecutor, who prosecuted Redden for allegedly attacking someone with a baseball bat last year.
District Attorney Steve Wolfson said the suspect's criminal record is characterized by mostly violent crimes and includes prior convictions for three felonies and nine misdemeanors. He said Redden should be held without bail as “an extreme danger to the community and a flight risk.”
“He's been violent his entire adult life,” Wolfson said.
Redden's attorney, Caesar Almase, declined to comment Wednesday.
Redden was not handcuffed or jailed during the sentencing hearing because he had been released from custody as part of a deal with prosecutors in which he pleaded guilty in November to a reduced charge of attempted battery causing substantial injury. He was initially charged with the baseball bat attack with a deadly weapon, court records show.
On Wednesday, he wore a white shirt and dark pants as he stood next to his lawyer and asked the judge for leniency, describing himself as “someone who never stops trying to do the right thing, no matter how hard it is.”
“I am not a rebellious person,” he told the judge, adding that he does not think he should be sent to prison. “But if it's appropriate for you, then you have to do what you have to do.”
Moments later, when the judge made it clear she intended to put him behind bars, and the court marshal handcuffed him and took him into custody, Redden shouted expletives and charged forward. People who had been sitting in the courtroom with him in the audience, including his foster mother, started screaming.
Records show Redden, who lives in Las Vegas, was evaluated and found competent to stand trial in the battery case before pleading guilty to the reduced charge. He previously served prison time in Nevada on a domestic battery conviction, records show.
Holthus was a career prosecutor with more than 27 years of court experience when she was elected to the state court in 2018.