Earlier this year, a Black defendant went viral for vaulting himself above a Las Vegas judge’s bench after receiving a disappointing ruling. Now, we know what his punishment will be in addition to the crimes he was already being prosecuted for.
Deobra Redden, 31, was being sentenced for a felony battery case on Jan 3. by Clark County District Court Judge Mary Kay Holthus. The video of the hearing showed he was visibly disappointed about being sent to prison. Before Holthus could even provide his prison term, the camera showed Redden leaping over the 4-foot-high bench, tackling her to the ground.
It took multiple court officers to peel him off of her, per the video. Holthus suffered some injuries but recovered in enough time to meet Redden back in the courtroom the following day to finish her ruling, per court documents. Following the incident, Redden was slapped with another, serious criminal offense: attempted murder, The AP reports.
In a September hearing, Holthus didn’t appear as a judge but as a victim, sitting in the witness stand and detailing how she felt the day of the attack, per the KLAS News. She said she feared for her life when Redden launched himself at her. In his defense, Redden’s lawyer told the court his client hadn’t taken his medication for his schizophrenia diagnosis at the time of the incident, the report says.
In the end, Redden pleaded guilty to attempted murder and other charges in connection to the attack. However, he gave a statement to defend his character.
“I’m not a bad person, I’m not an evil guy,” Redden told the court. “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, I know I cared about her wellbeing.”
District Court Judge Susan Johnson sentenced him to serve between 26 and 65 years in prison, aggregated with his sentence for the attempted battery charge. Considering time served, Redden still won’t be eligible for parole until after 2050.