Deobra Redden has been handed a prison sentence of 19 to 48 months following a dramatic incident in Clark County District Court, Nevada, where he was recorded assaulting Judge Mary Kay Holthus. The altercation occurred just as Judge Holthus was about to pronounce Redden’s sentence, and the situation quickly spiraled out of control when Redden was informed that he would not be granted bond.
Captured on video, the shocking incident shows Redden vaulting over the bench to attack the judge. In a chaotic struggle, he grabbed Judge Holthus by her hair, prompting court clerk Michael Lasso and several court and jail officers to intervene. The officers had to physically restrain Redden, with some engaging in physical confrontation to subdue him. During the scuffle, Lasso sustained hand injuries, while a marshal was hospitalized for a dislocated shoulder and a forehead laceration. Judge Holthus also sustained injuries but remarkably resumed her duties the following day.
Following the attack, Redden was detained on a $54,000 bail. He declined to appear in court the subsequent day to face additional charges related to the courtroom incident. These new charges include coercion with force and battery on a protected person, referring to the judge and the officers involved in the altercation.
The arrest report disclosed that Redden had torn out a portion of Judge Holthus’ hair. The judge, in a later interview, described Redden as “big, strong, and angry.” His sentence pertains to a separate battery charge linked to an attack with a baseball bat the previous year. Initially charged with assault, Redden had negotiated a plea deal in November 2023, admitting to a lesser charge of attempted battery causing substantial harm.
Redden’s history of criminality is extensive, with three felony convictions and nine misdemeanors. His record also includes a previous imprisonment in Nevada for a domestic battery conviction.