Suspect indicted in attack on judge captured in viral video
A man accused of attacking a Las Vegas judge in a viral video has been indicted on attempted murder and battery charges.
Prosecutors announced the indictment during a court hearing Thursday, when District Judge Jerry Wiese ordered 30-year-old Deobra Redden to continue to be held in custody without bail.
Redden is currently in prison after he was sentenced in a separate attempted battery case, the same case in which he was seen leaping at District Judge Mary Kay Holthus during a hearing in January.
When Holthus indicated she was not going to sentence Redden to probation, Redden jumped over the defense table, ran across the courtroom and launched himself over the judge’s bench, tackling Holthus and slamming her head into a wall, police have said. An attorney, clerk and uniformed officer pulled Redden off Holthus after he allegedly pulled her hair and hit her in the head.
A courtroom marshal also suffered a head injury when he tripped while attempting to restrain Redden.
Redden was indicted on charges of attempted murder against a victim age 60 or older, battery on a protected person 60 or older, extortion by threat, intimidating a public officer, battery on an officer resulting in substantial bodily harm, willful or wanton disregard of the safety of persons or property resulting in substantial bodily harm, battery on a protected person, battery by a prisoner and an unlawful act regarding bodily fluid.
When Redden was initially arrested and taken to the Clark County Detention Center, he spit in a corrections officer’s face and said he “tried to kill the judge today,” according to his arrest report.
He was previously facing an attempted battery charge for threatening to “bust the kneecaps” of another man with a baseball bat, court records show. In January, Redden’s sister told reporters that he suffers from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and she questioned if sending Redden back to prison would help him.
Redden is set to appear in court for an arraignment on Feb. 29.
Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240.
