Famed reality court personality “Judge Judy” Sheindlin expressed being “shocked” that the felon who attacked a Las Vegas judge in a now-viral video had managed to reach the judge “without somebody shooting him” first.
Sheindlin, famous for her iconic role over the years as “Judge Judy” and current star of “Judy Justice,” weighed in on the incident Monday which was widely seen via courtroom security video, highlighting the risks present in courtrooms.
Speaking with E! News, the TV court celebrity noted that she had seen the video of Deobra Redden, a 30-year-old convicted felon, attacking the judge in Clark County.
When asked her thoughts, Sheindlin told correspondent Courtney Lopez that she was “actually shocked that this defendant managed to get as far as he did without somebody shooting him.”
Though she explained the incident “probably happened in a second [so] that once he was there there were too many people,” she said she remained “shocked that somebody managed to get as close to her and on top of her.”
Sheindlin, who has dominated daytime ratings for over two decades, also noted her history of dealing with potentially dangerous situations in the courtroom.
“I dealt in the family court with some issues that are at least as profound as being jail sentenced — terminating parental rights, abuse of children — and there is always that risk that somebody will act out and you just have to hope that you have support staff that will get there before they get to you,” she said, as she highlighted the dangers posed by Redden’s “anger and total lack of self-control.”
As AP reported, in his appearance before Clark County District Court Judge Mary Kay Holthus last week, Redden, who was facing prison time for a felony battery charge stemming from a baseball bat attack last year, sought to convince the judge he was rebuilding his life and deserved leniency.
He originally faced assault charges but, after a deal with prosecutors, pleaded guilty in November to a lesser charge of attempted battery causing significant injuries.
A Nevada judge was attacked Wednesday by a defendant in a felony battery case who leaped both a defense table and the judge’s bench.
The judge “experienced some injuries,” according to a court statement. The defendant was arrested and now faces new felony charges. pic.twitter.com/O25wF2RwOR
— The Associated Press (@AP) January 4, 2024
Asking for leniency, he described himself as “a person who never stops trying to do the right thing, no matter how hard it is.”
However, as the judge sentenced him to prison and the court marshal approached to handcuff him, the furious felon charged forward, swinging punches and yelling expletives.
Spectators in the courtroom, including his foster mother, screamed while court staff intervened to stop the attacker who landed several blows on the judge, who sustained injuries but returned to work the next day.
On Monday, Judge Holthus sentenced Redden to a maximum of four years in prison for his original baseball bat attack from last year.
He now faces an additional attempted murder charge, a criminal complaint states, and is also charged with battery on a protected person, officer battery, battery by a prisoner, public officer intimidation, extortion, and other offenses related to the January 3 assault on Judge Holthus during his sentencing.
Redden’s criminal record is marked by mostly violent offenses and includes prior convictions for three felonies and nine misdemeanors, District Attorney Steve Wolfson said, noting that “he’s been violent his entire adult life.”
On Tuesday, Sheindlin endorsed GOP White House hopeful Nikki Haley, stating the latter is “whip smart, has executive credentials and was a superb governor,” according to a statement released by Haley’s campaign.
I’m honored to have the support of America’s favorite no-nonsense judge https://t.co/VoWN7dysN3
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) January 9, 2024
“Judge Judy” has long expressed her belief that political correctness is harming Americans.
“Are my feelings necessarily PC and kumbaya? No. They are realistic,” she told the Guardian in 2021.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
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