Jury selection is complete in the civil trial involving U.S. Senator Rand Paul and the neighbor who assaulted him over a yard dispute.
Seven men and seven women have been empaneled Monday to hear the case against Rene Boucher, who pleaded guilty in federal court last year to assaulting a member of Congress and served 30 days in prison. Two of those jury members are alternates.
Opening arguments also began Monday.
Sen. Paul suffered six broken ribs in after Boucher tackled him while he was doing yard work at his Bowling Green home in 2017.
The Republican lawmaker is seeking up to $500,000 in compensatory damages and up to $1 million in punitive damages. Boucher has already been ruled liable, but the jury will determine how the amount of damages. Both men were in the courtroom today and will testify at some point during the course of the trial this week.
Original story:
U.S. Senator Rand Paul and the neighbor convicted of assaulting him outside his Bowling Green home are expected to come face to face in a courtroom this week.
Paul is seeking monetary damages against Rene Boucher in a civil trial that starts with jury selection on Monday in Warren Circuit Court.
Senator Paul is suing Boucher for a maximum of $500,000,000 in compensatory damages and up to $1 million in punitive damages.
Special Judge Tyler Gill has already ruled that Boucher is liable after pleading guilty in federal court to assaulting a member of Congress and serving 30 days in jail.
Boucher told police that Paul had blown leaves and piled sticks on his property for nearly 20 years and that his anger finally boiled over, prompting the November 2017 attack. However, jurors are expected to hear testimony that Boucher never raised any property issues with Paul or filed a formal complaint with the Home Owners Association in the upscale Rivergreen subdivision.
Senator Paul is expected to be in court fresh off of surgery related to the injuries he sustained in the attack, including multiple broken ribs. The Bowling Green Republican was scheduled to have a hernia repaired last week in Ontario, Canada.
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