Convicted Felon Gets Quarter-Century in Prison for Infamously Leaping Over Bench to Assault Judge During Sentencing: 'I Cared About Her Wellbeing'

A Las Vegas man was sentenced to decades in prison after infamously leaping over a courtroom bench earlier this year to attack a judge during his sentencing.

On January 3, 2023, Deobra Redden, 31, was in court to be sentenced for an attempted battery charge when he lunged over Judge Mary Kay Holthus' 4-foot-high bench, grabbed her hair, and caused injuries that did not require hospitalization.

Redden, diagnosed with schizophrenia, was reportedly not taking his prescribed medication at the time of the attack, according to 8 News Now.

"I'm not a bad person, I'm not an evil guy," Redden told Johnson before the attack. "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."

The violent scene, captured on courtroom video, shocked many and prompted significant scrutiny. Redden later pleaded guilty but mentally ill to charges of attempted murder and battery by a prisoner.

Judge Susan Johnson handed down the lengthy prison sentence after rejecting the defense's request for leniency, citing the severity of the attack.

During the hearing, Redden expressed regret and insisted he did not intend to kill Judge Holthus. However, in a statement read by prosecutors, Judge Holthus said Redden had made a "conscious decision" to kill her and "made every effort to succeed."

With credit for time served, Redden will not be eligible for parole until after 2050. He was sentenced to an aggregate prison term of 26 to 65 years.