Man Who Attacked Judge in Courtroom Sentenced to Up to 65 Years in Prison

Deobra Redden, the man seen in a video attacking a judge in a Las Vegas courtroom, has been sentenced to 26 to 65 years in a Nevada prison.

The sentencing took place on Tuesday, December 10, following his guilty but mentally ill plea in September. Redden was convicted of attempted murder and other charges.

The incident involved Redden jumping over the 4-foot-high (1.2-meter-high) bench in Clark County District Court, landing on Judge Mary Kay Holthus. The judge had testified during the trial that she feared for her life during the attack.

The attack took place on January 3, when Judge Mary Kay Holthus was about to deliver Redden’s sentence in a separate felony battery case.

Courtroom video footage captured the violent scene, showing the 62-year-old judge being knocked back against a wall as Redden vaulted over her 4-foot-high bench, grabbing her hair and toppling an American flag onto them. While Holthus suffered injuries, she did not require hospitalization, according to courthouse officials.

Redden’s defense attorney, Carl Arnold, stated that his client was not taking his prescribed medication for his diagnosed schizophrenia at the time of the attack.

In September, Arnold stated that Redden’s 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.”

On Tuesday, Redden addressed the court, stating that he did not intend to kill Judge Holthus, as reported by KLAS-TV.

“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.

Redden will be eligible for parole sometime after 2050, following his sentencing to serve between 26 and 65 years in prison for the attack on Judge Holthus.