Harris County judges address safety, after Nevada judge was violently attacked
HOUSTON - The man who attacked a Nevada judge on Wednesday now has even more charges to face when he heads back to court on Tuesday. The judge suffered minor injuries and a courtroom marshal had to be hospitalized with a gash on his head and a dislocated shoulder.
In the wake of that violent attack, some judges here in Harris County are addressing safety concerns.
"I'll be honest, Damali, it's really at the forefront of my thoughts daily because here in Precinct 3 we lost Clint Greenwood," explains Harris County Justice of the Peace Judge Joe Stephens.
Harris County Constable's Office Precinct 3 Assistant Chief Deputy Clint Greenwood was shot to death outside the Baytown Courthouse Annex in 2017. According to investigators, William Kenny killed the chief because Kenny held a grudge over a court case.
RELATED: Las Vegas Judge Mary Kay Holthus attacked by Deobra Redden in court
"Clint was a great guy. Clint was incredible," JP Stephens adds.
Judge Stephens chairs the Security Committee for area justice courts.
"We recently got glass windows that are bulletproof for our clerks. Also, our benches are bulletproof so that we have some protection there," Stephens explains, and although there are bailiffs, Stephens says he believes more could be done.
"Sometimes the feeling is it just may not be enough," he says.
Particularly after incidents like Las Vegas, where Judge Mary Kay Holthus denied defendant Deobra Redden's request for probation instead of sending him back to prison, and he lunged across the room attacking the judge, as Redden's foster mom yelled for him to stop.
"Mental illness is real. We don't know the litigants we're going to encounter on a day-to-day basis, what they've dealt with in their personal life," says Judge Stephens.
"It's a sensitive situation, and they're coming in angry sometimes. I've actually had a bomb threat to our office," explains Harris County Justice of the Peace Wanda Adams.
The person who made the bomb threat to Judge Wanda Adams's court was taken into custody. Turns out he was on an upcoming eviction docket. Judge Adams says tightening safety in the courtroom is critical.
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"We're getting ready to make a life-changing decision for that individual," Adams explains.
So simply wearing the robe, doing their job, and following the law, "Can put a bullseye on your back and make you a target," says Judge Stephens.
Federal Judge Esther Salas' son Daniel Anderl was killed in 2020 at their New Jersey home by, according to detectives, Roy Den Hollander, a man in a case Judge Salas presided over. In 2022, Congress named a bill after Daniel, concealing judges' addresses.
"We're able to supply documentation to the state that will privatize all of our private information," Judge Adams explains.
"Representative Jolanda Jones, the previous session carried House Bill 3671. It was a JP security bill," adds Judge Stephens. He hopes that the bill will ultimately pass, making things like metal detectors mandatory in courthouses to ensure order in the court.
A brawl broke out in a Harris County courtroom in October 2023 when emotional family members of 16-year-old Diamond Alvarez went after her killer, Frank Deleon, who shot the teen, and his ex-girlfriend 22 times.
"I've had cases where the deputy had to escort people out of the courtroom because they were irate," Adams adds.t
Even as these two judges work toward securing more safety measures, another level of protection both say they practice, giving respect in hopes of getting it in return.
"When somebody is down don't kick them. I think there's a very fine line between a judge admonishing somebody and also degrading them," explains Judge Stephens.
Redden has a criminal history dating back to 2012 that includes battery and domestic violence. On Wednesday he was pleading guilty to a downgraded charge of Attempted Battery after initially being charged with Assault with the use of a Deadly Weapon after an alleged baseball bat attack. He told the judge he was drug-free, turning his life around and felt he deserved probation instead of prison time.
After attacking the judge, Redden now has an additional 13 counts added to his charges, including Intimidation of a Public Official and Battery on a Protected Person, which refers to the judge and officers who came to her aid.