LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The terrifying moments when a Las Vegas Court Judge gets attacked by a defendant have now gone viral on social media.
Two decades later, a retired judge who survived a near assassination attempt on his life reflects on safety in the courtroom.
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"It takes a mental toll as well as a physical toll to be attacked," said Judge Charles Weller, retired Reno judge.
Weller knows all too well the terror of being attacked in your workplace.
"I was in chambers preparing for court when a sniper fired right through the window of my chambers, striking me in the chest," he said.
It was June 12, 2006, when the accused gunman, Darren Mack, who killed his wife, also fired at Judge Weller.
"An attack on any judge is distracting for all judges, and we don't need our judges to be distracted," he said. "We need them focused on applying the facts to the case before them."
This incident set a dangerous precedent for safety in courthouses.
On January 4, 2014, Stan Cooper, a retired Metro officer serving as a court security officer, was shot and killed in a shootout at a Las Vegas courthouse.
"I'm sure judges around the country right now are more concerned about their physical safety than they were the day before yesterday," he said.
In a viral video, Judge Holthus can be seen attacked in her courtroom.
"It's just terrible, and I hope Judge Holthus is fine," he said. "This kind of attack on the judicial system is terrible not only for the judge who is the victim of the attack but for the entire judiciary and the people served by the judiciary."
Weller says he's sure new security measures will be installed in light of the attack.
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He says safety will be the primary concern at their next board meeting.
"The Nevada judges will be meeting and having a presentation on court security within a couple of months, which was coincidentally scheduled, so we will be discussing as a bench what exists in the state of Nevada and what can be done to improve security for Nevada judges."
