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Nevada judge returned to work a day after being attacked by defendant

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Nevada judge returned to work a day after being attacked by defendant


LAS VEGAS (AP) — A Nevada judge was back to work a day after being attacked by a defendant in a felony battery case who was captured on courtroom video charging forward and “supermanning” over the judge’s bench after it became clear that he was being sentenced to prison, a court official said Thursday.

The defendant, Deobra Redden, is scheduled to face Clark County District Court Judge Mary Kay Holthus again Monday morning for his rescheduled sentencing, according to Chief Judge Jerry Wiese.

At a news conference Thursday, Wiese shared a statement from Holthus, who fell back from her seat against a wall when the defendant landed atop her and grabbed her hair, toppling an American flag onto them. Holthus suffered some injuries and was evaluated but not hospitalized, courthouse officials said.

“She wanted me to thank all of the well-wishers and others who have expressed concern for her and her staff,” Wiese said. “She is extremely grateful for those who took brave action during the attack.”

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In a bloody brawl, Redden had to be wrestled off the judge Wednesday morning by her law clerk, Michael Lasso, and several court and jail officers — including some who were seen throwing punches. One courtroom marshal was hospitalized for treatment of a bleeding gash on his forehead and a dislocated shoulder, and Lasso was treated for cuts on his hands.

Wiese credited Lasso for his quick action, saying he was the “primary person” who pulled the defendant off the judge “and probably kept her from having more severe injuries.”

Redden, 30, was jailed on $54,000 bail in connection with the attack but refused to return to court on Thursday on the new charges, so a judge rescheduled his next appearance for Jan. 9. Records show that he faces 13 counts including extortion and coercion with force. Seven of the new counts are battery on a protected person, referring to the judge and officers who came to her aid.

“It happened so fast it was hard to know what to do,” said Richard Scow, the chief county district attorney, who was prosecuting Redden for allegedly attacking a person with a baseball bat last year.

District Attorney Steve Wolfson said the suspect’s criminal record is marked by mostly violent offenses and includes prior convictions for three felonies and nine misdemeanors. He said Redden should be held without bail as “an extreme danger to the community and a flight risk.”

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“He’s been violent his entire adult life,” Wolfson said.

Redden’s defense attorney on Wednesday, Caesar Almase, declined to comment.

At the sentencing hearing, Redden wasn’t shackled or in jail garb because he had been released from custody as part of a deal with prosecutors, in which he pleaded guilty in November to a reduced charge of attempted battery resulting in substantial injuries. He was initially charged in the baseball bat attack with assault with a deadly weapon, court records show.

On Wednesday, he wore a white shirt and dark pants as he stood next to his attorney and asked the judge for leniency while describing himself as “a person who never stops trying to do the right thing no matter how hard it is.“

“I’m not a rebellious person,” he told the judge, adding that he doesn’t think he should be sent to prison. “But if it’s appropriate for you, then you have to do what you have to do.”

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Moments later, as the judge made it clear she intended to put him behind bars, and the court marshal moved to handcuff him and take him into custody, Redden yelled expletives and charged forward. People who had been sitting with him in the courtroom audience, including his foster mother, began to scream.

Records show Redden, who lives in Las Vegas, was evaluated and found competent to stand trial in the battery case before pleading guilty to the reduced charge. He previously served prison time in Nevada on a domestic battery conviction, records show.

Holthus was a career prosecutor with more than 27 years of courthouse experience when she was elected to the state court bench in 2018.





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Tahoe man loses $20K at Nevada casino and threatens to bomb facility before arrest, police say

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Tahoe man loses K at Nevada casino and threatens to bomb facility before arrest, police say


(FOX40.COM) — A man who lost $20,000 at a Nevada casino was arrested after he threatened to bomb the facility, according to law enforcement. • Video Above: History of Gambling in the U.S. Around 9:50 p.m. on Monday, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office responded to Harrah’s Casino after reports of a bomb threat. Deputies were […]



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2025 worst year for home sales in Southern Nevada since 2007, report says

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2025 worst year for home sales in Southern Nevada since 2007, report says


Home prices in Southern Nevada dropped from record highs to end 2025 and less homes sold last year compared with 2024.

Approximately 28,498 existing homes sold in the region last year, which is down almost 9 percent from the 31,305 homes that sold in 2024, according to trade association Las Vegas Realtors, which pulls its data from the Multiple Listing Service. This is the lowest number of homes sold in a year in Southern Nevada since 2007 right before the Great Recession.

The median sale price for a house sold in Southern Nevada in December was approximately $470,000, a 3.9 percent drop from November, according to LVR. By the end of December, LVR reported 6,396 single-family homes listed for sale without any sort of offer. That’s up 28.8 percent from one year earlier.

Despite a down year in sales, the local market did end on a high note.

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George Kypreos, president of Las Vegas Realtors, said he is optimistic the housing market could turn around this year. The LVR report noted that home sales in Southern Nevada have seen “peaks and valleys” in recent years, generally declining since 2021 when a record 50,010 properties sold.

“Although it was a relatively slow year for home sales, we’re seeing some encouraging signs heading into the new year,” said Kypreos in a statement. “Buyer activity locally and nationally is starting to improve. Home prices have been fairly stable, and mortgage interest rates ended the year lower than they were the previous year. Most trends are pointing to a more balanced housing market in 2026.”

Freddie Mac currently has the average price for a 30-year fixed-term mortgage rate at 6.1 percent. That mortgage rate has not gone below 6 percent since 2022.

The all-time high median home sale price in Southern Nevada was broken multiple times last year, and currently sits at $488,995 which was last set in November while the condo and townhome market has dropped substantially from an all-time high that was set in October of 2024 ($315,000) to $275,000 to end 2025.

Major residential real estate brokerages are mixed as to where the market will head this year as Zillow, Redfin and Realtor.com have all put out their 2026 projections, and they expect a similar market to 2025. Mortgage rates aren’t expected to drop enough next year to unlock the country’s housing market, new builds will continue to lag, and prices will remain relatively elevated.

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Realtor.com said in its report that it predicts a “steadier” housing market next year and a slight shift to a more balanced market. Redfin’s report says 2026 will be the year of the “great housing reset,” which means the start of a yearslong period of “gradual increases in home sales and normalization of prices as affordability gradually improves.”

Finally, Zillow said the housing market should “warm up” in 2026 with “buyers seeing a bit more breathing room and sellers benefiting from price stability and more consistent demand.”

Contact Patrick Blennerhassett at pblennerhassett@reviewjournal.com.



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A snowmobiler dies after an avalanche in California’s Sierra Nevada

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A snowmobiler dies after an avalanche in California’s Sierra Nevada


TRUCKEE, Calif. — An avalanche in California’s Sierra Nevada on Monday buried a snowmobiler in snow and killed him, authorities said.

Rescuers responded after a 911 call around 2:20 p.m. reported a possible avalanche near Johnson Peak and Castle Peak in Truckee.

The snowmobiler was initially reported missing but then was found under the snow several minutes later, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

Fellow recreationists found him but he didn’t survive despite lifesaving efforts, according to the statement.

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Emergency personnel were working to safely extract the victim late Monday and to confirm no others were buried.

The sheriff’s office said more avalanches could occur and recommended that people avoid the area.

Each winter, 25 to 30 people die in avalanches in the U.S., according to the National Avalanche Center. The center’s current map shows high risk spots in Utah and Washington and areas of considerable risk in California, Colorado, Idaho and Wyoming.



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