Current:Home > NewsMan who lunged at judge in court reportedly said he wanted to kill her-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Man who lunged at judge in court reportedly said he wanted to kill her
View Date:2024-12-23 20:08:01
A Nevada judge was back to work a day after being attacked by a defendant in a felony battery case who was captured on courtroom video charging forward and "supermanning" over the judge's bench after it became clear that he was being sentenced to prison, a court official said Thursday.
The defendant, Deobra Redden, is scheduled to face Clark County District Court Judge Mary Kay Holthus again Monday morning for his rescheduled sentencing, according to Chief Judge Jerry Wiese.
Documents obtained by CBS Las Vegas affiliate KLAS-TV quote Redden as later telling corrections officers he'd had a bad day and tried to kill her.
At a news conference Thursday, Wiese shared a statement from Holthus, who fell back from her seat against a wall when the defendant landed on top of her and grabbed her hair, toppling an American flag onto them. Holthus suffered some injuries and was evaluated but not hospitalized, courthouse officials said.
"She wanted me to thank all of the well-wishers and others who have expressed concern for her and her staff," Wiese said. "She is extremely grateful for those who took brave action during the attack."
In a bloody brawl Wednesday morning, Redden had to be wrestled off the judge by her law clerk, Michael Lasso, and several court and jail officers - including some who were seen throwing punches. One courtroom marshal was hospitalized for treatment of a bleeding gash on his forehead and a dislocated shoulder, and Lasso was treated for cuts on his hands. The documents said the marshal needed 25 stitches.
The documents KLAS got say that, after leaping over the bench, Redden slammed Holthus' head against a wall, hit her once on the head and pulled some hair out of her head. She then hid under her desk "balled up covering her face," according to the documents.
The documents also say that after the attack, in a holding cell near the courtroom, Redden told an officer, "Judge has it out for me," "Judge is evil" and "I'm sorry you guys had to see that."
Wiese credited Lasso for his quick action, saying he was the "primary person" who pulled the defendant off the judge "and probably kept her from having more severe injuries."
Redden, 30, was jailed on $54,000 bail in connection with the attack but refused to return to court on Thursday on the new charges, so a judge rescheduled his next appearance for Jan. 9. Records show that he faces 13 counts including extortion and coercion with force. Seven of the new counts are battery on a protected person, referring to the judge and officers who came to her aid.
"It happened so fast it was hard to know what to do," said Richard Scow, the chief county district attorney, who was prosecuting Redden for allegedly attacking a person with a baseball bat last year.
District Attorney Steve Wolfson said the suspect's criminal record is marked by mostly violent offenses 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 defense attorney on Wednesday, Caesar Almase, declined to comment.
At the sentencing hearing, Redden wasn't shackled or in jail garb 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 resulting in substantial injuries. He was initially charged in the baseball bat attack with assault with a deadly weapon, court records show.
On Wednesday, he wore a white shirt and dark pants as he stood next to his attorney and asked the judge for leniency while describing himself as "a person who never stops trying to do the right thing no matter how hard it is."
"I'm not a rebellious person," he told the judge, adding that he doesn't 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, as the judge made it clear she intended to put him behind bars and the court marshal moved to handcuff him and take him into custody, Redden yelled expletives and charged forward. People who had been sitting with him in the courtroom audience, including his foster mother, began to scream.
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 courthouse experience when she was elected to the state court bench in 2018.
veryGood! (342)
Related
- Sister Wives’ Janelle Brown Alleges Ex Kody Made False Claims About Family’s Finances
- Small Illinois village preps for second total eclipse in 7 years
- Kurt Cobain's Daughter Frances Bean Cobain Shares Heartbreaking Message on Never Knowing Her Late Dad
- Actor in spinoff of popular TV western ‘Yellowstone’ is found dead, authorities say
- LSU student arrested over threats to governor who wanted a tiger at college football games
- EPA head Regan defends $20B green bank: ‘I feel really good about this program’
- 3 found guilty in 2017 quadruple killing of Washington family
- Lawsuit naming Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs as co-defendant alleges his son sexually assaulted woman on yacht
- Prayers and cheeseburgers? Chiefs have unlikely fuel for inexplicable run
- Boeing’s CEO got compensation worth nearly $33 million last year but lost a $3 million bonus
Ranking
- Will Aaron Rodgers retire? Jets QB tells reporters he plans to play in 2025
- Fact-checking 'Scoop': The true story behind Prince Andrew's disastrous BBC interview
- Today's jobs report shows economy added booming 303K jobs in March, unemployment at 3.8%
- 'I screamed!' Woman quits her job after scratching off $90,000 lottery win
- Falling scaffolding plank narrowly misses pedestrians at Boston’s South Station
- 2024 men's NCAA Tournament expert picks: Predictions for Saturday's Final Four games
- What to know about next week’s total solar eclipse in the US, Mexico and Canada
- GA judge rejects Trump's attempt to dismiss charges | The Excerpt
Recommendation
-
As Northeast wildfires keep igniting, is there a drought-buster in sight?
-
Sheriff says man held at problem-plagued jail in Atlanta was stabbed to death by another detainee
-
Endangered North Atlantic right whale found dead off Virginia was killed in collision with ship, NOAA says
-
Got your eclipse glasses? This nonprofit wants you to recycle them after April 8 eclipse
-
More human remains from Philadelphia’s 1985 MOVE bombing have been found at a museum
-
Afraid of flying? British Airways wants to help.
-
University of Texas professors demand reversal of job cuts from shuttered DEI initiative
-
World Central Kitchen boss José Andrés accuses Israel of direct attack on Gaza aid convoy