A Las Vegas man who was captured on video leaping over a courtroom bench and desk and attacking a judge was sentenced Tuesday to serve at least 26 years behind bars.
Deobra Redden, 31, was ordered to serve between 26 and 65 years in a Nevada prison for the Jan. 3 attack on Clark County District Court Judge Mary Kay Holthus, according to KLAS-TV.
Redden pleaded guilty but mentally ill in September to attempted murder and other charges shortly after Holthus, 62, testified that she feared for her life when Redden jumped over her 4-foot-high bench and landed on her.
Defendant Deobra Redden, who was captured on video attacking a Las Vegas judge in January, appears in court as Judge Susan Johnson instructs attorneys before Redden’s trial at the Regional Justice Center, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP)
Redden was not taking his prescribed medication to control his diagnosed schizophrenia when he carried out the attack, according to his defense lawyer, Carl Arnold.
Arnold said when Redden entered his guilty plea in September that it “reflects a delicate balance between accepting responsibility for a regrettable incident and recognizing the impact of Mr. Redden’s untreated mental illness at the time.”
Redden said in court Tuesday that he did not intend to kill Holthus, according to KLAS-TV.
District Judge Mary Kay Holthus becomes emotional as she testifies against Deobra Redden during Redden’s trial at the Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. (AP)
“I’m not making excuses for my actions, but I’m saying I’m not a bad person and I know that I did not intend to kill Mary Kay Holthus,” he told the court.
Redden will be eligible for parole sometime after 2050.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
