Republished June 18, 2020 - 4:21 PM
Original Publication Date June 18, 2020 - 2:11 PM
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - A new sentencing date has been set for a Kentucky man who tackled U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, breaking several of the lawmaker's ribs.
Rene Boucher was scheduled to be resentenced on July 27 on a count of assaulting a member of Congress, the Bowling Green Daily News reported.
Boucher had served a 30-day sentence, paid a $10,000 fine and performed community services after pleading guilty to attacking his then-neighbour Paul over a lawn maintenance issue along their property line in 2017.
Paul had six broken ribs and later suffered bouts of pneumonia and underwent surgery to remove part of his damaged lung.
Federal prosecutors appealed the sentence, stating 30 days was too lenient considering Paul’s injuries. A federal appeals court agreed with prosecutors in September 2019 and ordered Boucher to be resentenced, vacating his 30-day sentence.
Boucher’s attorney, Matt Baker, said the decision to resentence Boucher could be compared to a “mulligan” in golf, or an extra opportunity.
Baker said this wouldn’t be the case if the incident didn’t involved a U.S. senator. Baker tried to have the U.S. Supreme Court review the appeal, but his request was declined.
Special prosecutor Bradley Shepard is seeking a 21-month sentence.
News from © The Associated Press, 2020