LAS VEGAS (CN) — One day after a defendant attacked her in court for over her sentencing in his felony battery case on Wednesday, Clark County District Court Judge Mary Kay Holthus was back on the bench in Las Vegas on Thursday.
“We commend the heroic acts of Judge Holthus's staff, law enforcement and all others who subdued the defendant,” Clark County Chief Judge Jerry Wiese said on Thursday evening. “Judge Holthus wanted me to convey a statement; she wanted me to thank all of the well-wishers and others who have expressed concern for her and her staff.”
Courtroom video on Wednesday showed Deobra Delone Redden standing by his attorney and then suddenly jumping over the judge’s bench and attacking Holthus, causing an all-out brawl between Redden and court staff. The judge only sustained minor injuries and did not require hospitalization. On Thursday, Wiese said that two other employees in the court also received minor injuries while trying to defend Holthus.
In the video, Holthus can be seen falling back from her seat against a wall as the defendant leapt over the bench and grabbed her hair, causing an American flag to topple onto them, as a court employee attempts to pull him off of her. Redden now faces several new charges associated with battery on a protected person.
“As far as I know, it has never happened before that somebody's super-manning over at a judicial bench,” Wiese said. "I think this Michael Lasso, her law clerk, was probably the primary person that pulled the defendant off of her and. probably kept her from having more severe injuries. So we commend him for that and his heroic actions.”
Wiese said the Clark County Court has a wellness program for staff and has authorized crisis services for staff and for the judge if the need arises. He added that Clark County management believes there is a need for additional bailiffs in the courtroom and more marshals when the court docket has high-risk defendants on the docket, and that the property manager of the courthouse is looking to identify if courtrooms are still in need of safety improvement.
Though extra security and marshal support are always welcome in the courtroom, Weise said he wasn’t sure whether extra protection in the courtroom would have kept Holthus from being attacked on Wednesday.
“I just want to make sure that the public is aware that their courthouse is a safe place to be,” Wiese said on Thursday. “This was a very unique situation, and we're doing what we can to continue to maintain the integrity of the court and the safety that we have here.”
Redden, jailed on $54,000 bail, refused to return to court on Thursday on new charges, leading to a rescheduled appearance for Jan. 9, the Associated Press reported.
Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson called for Redden's detention without bond, saying that Redden poses a serious risk to the community and is a flight risk. Redden initially entered a guilty plea to a reduced charge of attempted battery resulting in substantial injury in his original case and was subsequently released from custody in November, according to AP.
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