A judge has upheld a more than half-million dollar award in the civil case between U.S. Senator Rand Paul and the neighbor convicted of assaulting him over a yard dispute.
A ruling issued on Thursday afternoon denies Rene Boucher a new trial.
A jury on Jan. 30 awarded Senator Paul more than $582,000 in damages stemming from the 2017 attack outside his Bowling Green home. Boucher’s attorney Matt Baker appealed the judgment, claiming the award was excessive.
Special Judge Tyler Gill disagreed, noting Boucher’s “outrageous course of conduct” and the severity of Paul’s injuries. Gill said the medical expenses weren't fully indicative of the seriousness of the injury.
"The Plaintiff is a physician himself and had friends who were physicians which allowed him to avoid some treatment and expense otherwise necessary," wrote Gill.
The jury ordered Boucher to pay the Republican lawmaker $200,000 for pain and suffering, $375,000 in punitive damages, and more than $7,000 for medical costs.
Boucher was also convicted in criminal court of assaulting a member of Congress and served 30 days in prison for the felony offense.
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