Refusing Leniency, Defendant 'Leaps' at Judge's Bench... US Court Upended by Judge Assault

Refusal of Probation Request Leads to Defendant Jumping onto Judge's Bench
Judge Sustains Minor Head Injury... Sheriff Also Injured

In a courtroom in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, an incident occurred where a judge was assaulted by a defendant during sentencing.

According to The New York Times (NYT) and others on the 3rd (local time), Judge Mary Kay Holthus (62) of the Clark County District Court in Las Vegas, Nevada, was attacked by the defendant Deobra Delon Reden (30), who was charged with assault and other offenses, while delivering the sentence.

Reden is rushing into the judge's bench and attacking Judge Mary Kay Holthus.
Photo by Ex@Breaking911

Reden's defense attorney requested a suspended sentence on the grounds of the defendant's psychiatric treatment. Reden personally pleaded for leniency in court, saying, "I am not a rebellious person. No matter how difficult it is, I never stop trying to do the right thing."

However, Judge Holthus rejected the request, referring to Reden's criminal record, saying, "I cannot understand his history. It seems it is time for him to taste something else (punishment)." As soon as the judge said this, Reden became enraged, jumped onto the judge's bench, tackled the judge to the floor, and began assaulting her.

Sheriffs present in the courtroom immediately rushed to restrain Reden, but he could not calm down and continued to curse and charge at the judge. He also assaulted a sheriff who tried to hold him back. The chaos lasted about three minutes, turning the courtroom into a scene of pandemonium, and the entire incident was captured on cameras installed inside the courtroom.

Judge Holthus sustained minor head injuries from the assault and is currently recovering, while the sheriff who subdued Reden suffered a dislocated shoulder and is receiving treatment at a hospital.

A court spokesperson stated in a press release, "We are relieved that Judge Holthus is safe. We thank the heroic actions of the sheriffs and court clerks who rushed to assist her." They also announced, "We will take all necessary measures to protect the judiciary, the public, and staff."

According to court records, Reden, who attacked the judge, has a prior record of incarceration. In 2015, he was sentenced to 1 year and 7 months in prison for attempted theft, and in 2021, he served time for domestic violence charges. With the addition of seven charges related to the courtroom assault to his existing charges, he will face trial on a total of 13 charges.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.