Man pleads guilty to attacking Las Vegas judge after she testifies: ‘I didn’t think I was going to get out of there’

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A man pleaded guilty but mentally ill Thursday after the judge he attacked testified that she thought she would die in the incident that later went viral.

Deobra Redden, 31, pleaded guilty but mentally ill after Judge Mary Kay Holthus and her law clerk testified in his attempted murder trial. As part of the guilty plea, a different judge could sentence Redden to at least three years in prison.

As the 8 News Now Investigators first reported on Jan. 3, Redden, a three-time felon, was in Holthus’ courtroom for sentencing on a charge of attempted battery with substantial bodily harm.

Holthus, who was 62 at the time, was sitting behind the bench, which she described as four feet high, when Redden ran up to her, jumped over the desk and attacked her, video showed. Several other people, including Holthus’ courtroom marshal and her law clerk, then fought with Redden before throwing him to the ground.

Redden’s trial began with jury selection Tuesday. Holthus was the first witness to take the stand in Redden’s trial on Thursday. It was the first time Holthus spoke publicly about the attack. No less than six court marshals stood in the courtroom during the judge’s testimony.

Redden appeared in front of Holthus several times before January’s attack. He was previously in front of Holthus on charges of malicious destruction of property. In court Thursday, Holthus said she did not remember that case.

Redden pleaded guilty to another charge of attempted battery with substantial bodily harm in November 2023. Holthus later issued a bench warrant for his arrest in December after he missed a court appearance. That hearing, his sentencing, continued on Jan. 3.

Before the attack, Redden’s attorney asked Holthus to sentence his client to probation. Holthus then said, “I think it’s time he get a taste of something else.” In court Thursday, Holthus said she was concerned about Redden’s history of violence and his two previous attempts at mental health court when sentencing him.

Chief Deputy District Attorney John Giordani questioned Holthus and showed video of the proceedings and the attack.

“I remember him coming at me and I really didn’t think he could make contact—it was like a crash sound,” Holthus said as he mimicked her actions to the jury. “He had me by the hair and I was still getting hit in the head.”

Holthus described Redden as “superhuman,” saying he knocked her so hard her shoes fell off.

“I just remember saying, ‘Help! Help! Somebody get him off!’ In my head, I was just completely defenseless,” Holthus said holding back tears. “It was scary. I didn’t think I was going to get out of there.”

Holthus said Redden continued to “go after” her as her law clerk, Michael Lasso, attempted to pull Redden off her. It took three or four people to pull Redden off her, she told the jury.

“I literally rolled under my bench in the fetal position,” Holthus said, adding she does not recall if she fell unconscious. “I remember thinking, ‘Why is it taking so long?’ There was chaos in the courtroom.”

During his cross-examination, Redden’s attorney, Carl Arnold noted Holthus was not bleeding after the attack nor did she break any bones. He also asked Holthus if she knew who specifically was hitting her, to which she replied she only knew she was being hit.

Holthus told the judge she was aware Redden was diagnosed with schizophrenia but said she had no concerns about his competency heading into sentencing. She also said she was not aware Redden was not on his medication.

“Do you recall that he was saying any statements that he was trying to kill you?” Arnold asked Holthus.

“I don’t recall. It was literally chaos,” Holthus said.

In the minutes after the attack, officers took Redden to a holding cell and then to the Clark County Detention Center, which is connected to the Regional Justice Center via a tunnel. During the transition, Redden allegedly told an officer he had a bad day and was trying to kill Holthus. While at CCDC, Redden allegedly spit in a corrections officer’s face, police said.

Holthus previously testified to a Clark County grand jury, which voted to indict Redden.

In court Wednesday, Arnold said his client did not intend to kill Holthus. Arnold said the jump lasted 3.7 seconds. He also said Redden was not on the medication prescribed to him during several months in a mental institution leading up to the January hearing before Holthus.

“That’s going to be the big question that you guys are going to have to deal with at closing,” Arnold told the jury. “Did he have the intent to go ahead and kill?”

Holthus sentenced Redden a week after the attack as the interrupted hearing continued. Redden, who was sentenced from 19 months to four years on an attempted battery charge, appeared in the courtroom at the time wearing a mask and surrounded by court marshals as two Metro police officers held onto him. Before sentencing Redden, Holthus said she did not modify or change her decision on his sentence because of the attack.

During his initial arraignment, Redden pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Judge Susan Johnson will sentence Redden on Nov. 7.

Under Nevada law, defense lawyers must prove their client is mentally ill when pleading guilty to the stipulation. The language means a judge could add mental health treatment as part of sentencing.

Redden’s family previously said he struggles with his mental health and that the criminal system has failed him.

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