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Jury Awards Sen. Rand Paul More Than $580,000 In Damages After Attack By Neighbor

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has been awarded more than a half-million dollars in damages after being injured in an assault by a neighbor.
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Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has been awarded more than a half-million dollars in damages after being injured in an assault by a neighbor.

A Kentucky jury has awarded U.S. Sen. Rand Paul more than $580,000 in damages stemming from a November 2017 dispute in which a neighbor tackled the Republican lawmaker, who was doing yardwork at his home in Bowling Green.

Paul suffered six broken ribs. The neighbor, then-59-year-old Rene Boucher, was charged with assaulting a member of Congress, a felony under federal law. He pleaded guilty in March 2018. Boucher received a 30-day prison sentence in June and paid a $10,000 fine.

The attack was not politically motivated, according to Boucher, but was prompted by Paul's leaving brush and leaves between their two properties.

The jury awarded Paul $375,000 in punitive damages and $200,000 for pain and suffering, plus $7,834 for medical expenses.

Boucher's attorney, Matt Baker, said his client will appeal the damage award.

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Richard Gonzales is NPR's National Desk Correspondent based in San Francisco. Along with covering the daily news of region, Gonzales' reporting has included medical marijuana, gay marriage, drive-by shootings, Jerry Brown, Willie Brown, the U.S. Ninth Circuit, the California State Supreme Court and any other legal, political, or social development occurring in Northern California relevant to the rest of the country.