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U.S. Sen. Rand Paul is lawyering up.
After six of his ribs were broken in an alleged attack by his neighbor at his home in Bowling Green, Paul has hired Thomas N. Kerrick, a personal injury lawyer.
Kerrick's firm confirmed Monday morning it had been hired by Paul.
Kerrick did not immediately return emails requesting further detail on the case. A pre-trial conference is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Nov. 30.
Paul's neighbor, Rene Boucher of Bowling Green, appeared last week in Warren County District Court alongside his attorney Matthew J. Baker.
The registered Democrat admitted to going on Paul’s property and tackling him a little more than a week ago, according to an arrest warrant from Kentucky State Police. He is charged with fourth-degree assault, a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a $500 fine.
The charge is usually reserved for incidents that result in minor injuries. If federal charges are added, Boucher could potentially face 10 years in prison for physically attacking a politician.
Boucher has been ordered to stay 1,000 feet away from Paul and his family unless he is in his own home, which sits a few hundred feet away from Paul's.
Background: Attack on Sen. Rand Paul had nothing to do with politics, suspect's lawyer says
Boucher's attorney Matthew J. Baker has said the “unfortunate occurrence” between the neighbors of more than 17 years “has absolutely nothing to do with either’s politics or political agendas.” He added that it was a “regrettable dispute” over something most people would consider trivial.
While there's no official word on what caused the fight, the neighborhood's developer, Jim Skaggs, suggested it might have stemmed from Paul allegedly blowing lawn trimmings into his neighbor's yard.
Other neighbors, including a 20-year-friend of the senator, said he was not familiar with Boucher or any ongoing dispute.
"When I saw Rand after the incident, he even acknowledged that he hadn't talked to Boucher in years," Rob Porter said. "If there was some kind of ongoing rift, I wasn't aware of it and Rand didn't act like he was aware of it."
In a statement released Thursday, Doug Stafford, a senior adviser to Paul, said the two haven't spoken in a while.
"This is a serious criminal matter involving serious injury, and is being handled by local and federal authorities," Stafford said. "As to reports of a longstanding dispute with the attacker, the Pauls have had no conversations with him in many years. The first 'conversation' with the attacker came after Sen. Paul's ribs were broken.”
Paul tweeted Monday he is returning to work on Capitol Hill, where Republicans are scrambling to pass tax reform legislation.
Reach Reporter Thomas Novelly at 502-582-4465 or by email at tnovelly@courier-journal.com. Follow him on twitter @TomNovelly.
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