A Las Vegas judge, who was recently attacked in court, has sentenced her assailant to up to four years in prison in an unrelated case. Deobra Delone Redden leapt over the bench and attacked Clark County District Court Judge Mary Kay Holthus in her courtroom. The sentence handed down Monday was in connection with a baseball bat attack on a person last year, and Redden stood in court in shackles, with a mask on his face and orange mitts on his hands. His lawyer declined to comment outside the courtroom.
In the violent attack against the judge, Redden had to be restrained by several court and jail officers, and courtroom staff members after trying to convince the judge he had turned around his violent past. Holthus suffered some injuries but was back to work the next day. Despite the attack, the judge was able to carry on with her duties, thanks to the quick response of court clerk Michael Lasso who acted rapidly to protect her, preventing her from having more severe injuries. It was noted that Redden was “supermanned over the judicial bench” by Jerry Wiese, the court’s chief judge, during the attack.
In conclusion, the incident at the Las Vegas courtroom remains an unusual and severe case of courtroom violence. That the judge who was assaulted was able to return to work so quickly after the incident and that the suspect received a lengthy prison sentence is a testament to the commitment to justice in the face of such adversity.
