Trial set to begin in Paul’s lawsuit against attacker

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) — Republican U.S. Sen. Rand Paul is going to court in his civil suit against the neighbor who broke his ribs with a hard tackle while he was doing yard work at his Kentucky home.

Jury selection began Monday in Paul’s lawsuit against Rene Boucher for the 2017 attack that left the senator with multiple broken ribs. Paul is seeking up to $500,000 in compensatory damages and up to $1 million in punitive damages. Both men were in the courtroom.

Boucher pleaded guilty to assaulting a member of Congress and was sentenced to 30 days in prison. Federal prosecutors have appealed the sentence, saying it’s too lenient.

Boucher has said that he “lost his temper” after Paul stacked debris near their property line in Bowling Green, Kentucky.