'It was an opportunity for America to see': New Jersey Judge Esther Salas discusses Nevada courtroom attack with Brian Kilmeade on 'Fox & Friends'

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: New Jersey Judge Esther Salas joined co-host Brian Kilmeade on the January 4 episode of 'Fox & Friends' to discuss the need for better security for judges.

The subject was brought up in light of the events of January 3, when Clark County District Judge Mary Kay Holthus was attacked by defendant Deobra Delone Redden inside the Nevada courtroom after being convicted.

Redden was caught on camera leaping over the bench and launching himself at the judge, slamming her against the wall and pulling her to the floor. Holthus is expected to recover after sustaining some injuries, reported Fox News.

"It was an opportunity for America to see what judges face on a daily basis. This kind of anger, we experience it in and out of the courtroom," said Salas.

"This was just a shocking example of what judges go through on a daily basis, and (shows) what we need to do to protect judges, especially at the state level."

Judge Esther Salas had been attacked for doing her job

Back in 2020, disgruntled attorney Roy Den Hollander came up to Salas' residence posing as a FedEx delivery person and fatally shot her son and wounded her husband. Salas survived, even though she was the primary target, and has since been campaigning for increasing the protection of judges.

"I think that now, post our tragedy, you're a little more in tune with everything that goes on both in and out of the courtroom. There are 30,000 judges that serve our country in general… this is an example of what judges face and what we need to do to better protect judges." she said.

The judge revealed the particular challenge of coping with her son's loss during the holidays. Despite the difficulty, she expressed her hope and prayers for future incidents of a similar nature to be averted.

Judge Esther Salas emphasized legal aids to protect judges

"There are so many states that don't have laws protecting judges, and I'm really speaking about our personally identifiable information," said Salas. "But this is an example of maybe looking at hardening courthouses and protocols to protect judges in and out of the courtroom."

"I just want to remind the audience that this attack on Judge Holthus, is the first attack in 2024. We saw a Maryland judge killed in October of last year at his home and, before that, retired Judge Roemer in Wisconsin. This is a sign to all of us that we need to do more to protect judicial officers," she later added.