Man in judge attack video escorted to court by 6 uniformed officers

A man seen on video attacking a Las Vegas judge was ordered to be held without bail on Tuesday on charges that include attempted murder and battery on a protected person.

Deobra Redden, 30, launched himself at District Judge Mary Kay Holthus during a sentencing hearing last week, moments before she said she would not grant him probation. A viral video of the attack showed Redden jumping over the judge’s bench and tackling Holthus before he was restrained by officers, an attorney and the judge’s clerk.

He previously had been held on a $54,000 bail, an amount that was set at the Clark County Detention Center when Redden was initially booked on battery charges.

During a court hearing on Tuesday, Justice of the Peace Diana Sullivan said Redden’s bail amount would be “set in court” at a later hearing, essentially ordering him to be held in custody without bail unless attorneys present arguments in the future.

“We feel that a no-bail setting is appropriate,” Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said Tuesday. “The man is obviously dangerous. That’s why we filed seven felony charges and a number of gross misdemeanor charges.”

Sullivan noted that she saw no reason to recuse herself from the case.

“I do know Judge Mary Kay Holthus — I know her very casually and only professionally,” Sullivan said. “I’ve never socialized with her outside, say, a professional event.”

Redden was escorted into the courtroom on Tuesday by six uniformed officers. He wore orange restraint gloves, and a full face mask he was seen wearing at previous hearings was replaced with a surgical mask.

Holthus held the remainder of Redden’s sentencing hearing on Monday, during which she ordered him to serve 19 to 48 months in prison for an attempted battery charge. He had pleaded guilty in November to threatening to “bust the kneecaps” of a man with a baseball bat, court records show.

During Tuesday’s hearing, Sullivan asked Redden if he understood the charges he faces.

“Yes, I understand,” he said.

Prosecutors charged Redden with attempted murder against an older person, battery on a protected person resulting in substantial bodily harm against an older person, extortion, intimidating a public officer with threat of force, disregarding the safety of a person resulting in substantial bodily harm, battery by a probationer or parolee, unlawful act regarding fluid by a prisoner in confinement, and six counts of battery on a protected person, court records show.

Redden is accused of hitting Holthus in the head and pulling her hair during the attack. A courtroom marshal also was injured when he tripped attempting to restrain Redden.

Wolfson said Tuesday that Redden’s statements after he was arrested last week supported the attempted murder charge.

After Redden was arrested, he told corrections officers at the Clark County Detention Center that Holthus “had it out for him.” As an officer was searching Redden, he said that “he had a bad day and tried to kill the judge today,” according to the investigator who authored Redden’s arrest report.

Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240.