Man who attacked Las Vegas judge pleads not guilty by reason of insanity; trial scheduled
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The man who attacked a Las Vegas judge earlier this year pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity and will go on trial in April.
As the 8 News Now Investigators first reported on Jan. 3, Deobra Redden, 31, a three-time felon, was in Judge Mary Kay Holthus’ courtroom for sentencing on a charge of attempted battery with substantial bodily harm.
Holthus 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 shared with the 8 News Now Investigators showed. Several other people, including Holthus’ courtroom marshal and her law clerk, then fought with Redden before throwing him to the ground.
While Redden initially faced charges in Las Vegas Justice Court, a Clark County grand jury indicted Redden earlier this month on charges connected to the attack, including attempted murder.
During his initial arraignment Thursday in Clark County District Court, Redden, 31, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Judge Susan Johnson scheduled a trial to begin April 29. Prosecutors said a trial was expected to take two weeks.
“Just like everybody else in looking at the video, I thought Mr. Redden was either out of his mind or on drugs at the time of this incident,” Redden’s attorney, Carl Arnold said, after the arraignment. “I came to find out he suffered from severe paranoid schizophrenia.”
Redden was not on his medication during the Jan. 3 incident, Arnold said.
“At trial, we will be able to prove that because of his mental defect that he suffered under delusional state that delusional state caused him not to be aware of the nature and circumstances of his actions,” Arnold 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.
“Never in his mind did he think he was going to go back to prison when it just wasn’t told to him,” Karen Springer, Redden’s foster mother, said Thursday. “He’s thinking he’s just going to go and the deal was already pleaded for him to just have probation.”
In addition to attempted murder, the grand jury indicted Redden on eight other charges, including extortion and battery. The attempted murder charge carries an enhancement due to Holthus’ age.
“He told me he really didn’t remember what he did,” Springer said. “He kind of remembered me calling his name constantly. On top of that, attempted murder? He wasn’t waking up to say, ‘I’m going to go kill a judge,’ or something to that matter. He had no real memory of what happened and the magnitude of it.”
Redden’s family previously said he struggles with his mental health and that the criminal system has failed him. They added he did not receive treatment in custody.
Holthus sentenced Redden the following week as the interrupted hearing continued. Redden, who was sentenced from 19 months to four years on an attempted battery charge, appeared in the courtroom 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.
Redden will remain in custody serving his prison sentence amid the upcoming trial.
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