Over the weekend, a Nevada man lunged over the stand to give the judge who sentenced him a big bear hug.
Clark Redding, a 30-year-old man from Nevada, was given life in prison after the judge sentenced him for charges on multiple felonies. He claimed that the bear hug was due to how grateful he was to be back in the prison system.
Redding also struggles with multiple mental disorders that he is currently working on treating. It is believed that the “bear hug” was due to these disorders and the change in treatment. However, the federal court system, not caring, felt life in prison was a necessary punishment for the actions Redding has done in the past.
It’s unknown whether the actions of Redding at the hearing were due to his disorders or if he was truly grateful like he has claimed.
Many of those in the audience were shocked into silence witnessing the event happen. Even more were stunned by the claimed reason for the jump. Whispers among the benches claimed the jump was due to Redding’s anger at being forced into prison. However, those whispers were put to rest when Redding turned around with a huge grin on his face.
Those affected by the incident share their thoughts:
- Clark Redding (criminal)- “I think my medication has been working. Usually I would’ve jumped the judge sooner.”
- Mary Horton (judge)- “I can’t even be mad really. I needed that hug… it’s been a long week.”
- Eric Finley (Redding’s lawyer)- “I don’t know why I even took such a mess of a case. I could’ve been home with my family. I haven’t seen my son in five weeks.”
- Delta Gerlad (observer)- “Does he have rabies? I could’ve sworn I saw foaming at his mouth. My doctor said I can’t get rabies otherwise I’ll die. Hopefully I wasn’t sitting close enough to contract it.”
Although the incident caused such an uproar, the judge isn’t too concerned about her injuries. She stated that it was “just part of the job”, since the bailiffs tend to fall asleep on shift and it’s up to the judges to defend themselves. During the tackling the bailiff was “sleeping with his eyes open”, so by the time he tried to stop Redding it was too late.
The bailiff who was on duty at the case, Butch Baker, has made no comment at this time regarding the injuries to Judge Horton or regarding the role he played in the attack from Redding.
After the hearing, Clark Redding was tested for rabies; his family is still waiting to hear back from the doctor at this time. They are also accepting any and all donations to help Redding get through this time for being “falsely accused” rather than being praised for his optimistic look on his sentence.
The family is also looking to sue the state for putting Redding in a muzzle and clamping his hands shut. They are claiming that it is inhumane to make him look like a “crazy dog”. Although it’s unlikely that this claim will be taken to court, it has caused quite a large stir.
The court is having to defend itself against social media posts that are now making fun of Redding for the restraints he was put into. Many of these posts are putting barking noises over the image of Redding, making the claim that much more believable.
The court has already put out a statement regarding the posts saying that the restraints were “necessary and proper” given the attack.
Moving past the claims, Clark Redding is to have another trial regarding the jumping of the judge to determine if his current sentencing will remain the same or have an added punishment. This trial will focus on the true meaning of the jump and whether or not happiness should go punished. The trial will be occurring in the following weeks after all of those who were impacted by the incident get the proper treatment.
Updates will be posted following the recovery of both Judge Horton and Clark Redding on different social media platforms through the Redding family and the court’s public accounts.
They also plan on keeping the public in the light of Redding’s full history and the reasons for the judge’s decisions. Redding is looking forward to seeing the judge again and has stated he will still be showing his gratitude, but in a different way (he wants to do a little jig to demonstrate the difference in hierarchy while still expressing his appreciation).
