A man who previously assaulted a US judge as she prepared to sentence him faced the same judge again, this time wearing a mask reminiscent of Hannibal Lecter during his sentencing on Monday.
Deobra Redden, who had previously lunged at Judge Mary Kay Holthus, appeared in a Las Vegas Court for sentencing, wearing restrictive mitts on his hands and a rigid mask to prevent biting, along with a hood to deter spitting. Law enforcement officers surrounded him to prevent a recurrence of his earlier assault.
Last week, viral footage captured Redden leaping over the bench at Holthus, leading to a physical altercation that left both the judge and a marshal injured. The attack occurred after Holthus indicated she was inclined towards a custodial sentence, not probation, for the original charge of attempted battery.
During Monday's sentencing, Judge Holthus asserted that the previous assault would not influence the sentence, emphasizing that her intended sentence had been established before the incident. She then sentenced Redden to 19 to 48 months in prison.
However, Redden is also facing additional charges related to the assault, including coercion, extortion, intimidating a public officer with the threat of force, disregarding the safety of a person resulting in significant bodily harm, and seven counts of battery on a protected person. Despite being scheduled for a court appearance on Thursday for these charges, Redden refused to leave his cell. A court order issued on Friday mandated Redden's transportation to Monday's hearing "by all means necessary," as reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
