A federal appeals court on Monday vacated a 30-day prison sentence for a neighbor of Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) who assaulted him in 2017, ruling it was overly lenient and ordering a resentencing.
In a 16-page opinion, Judge Jane B. Stranch of the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, writes that the lower court where Rene Boucher pleaded guilty to assaulting a member of Congress had “no compelling justification” for sentencing him far below federal guidelines.
“Federal defendants with a criminal history category of I [the lowest possible level] who were convicted of assault received an average sentence of 26 months’ imprisonment and a median sentence of 21 months,” the ruling states, citing data. “We therefore VACATE Boucher’s sentence and REMAND for resentencing.”
Marco Rubio Reveals the Message He Delivered Pope Leo During ‘Important Meeting’ at Vatican
Trump says US helped secure release of 5 prisoners in Belarus deal, thanks Lukashenko
Savannah Guthrie urges public to help find missing mother Nancy in emotional Mother’s Day post
Kristin Smart search ends with no remains found as detectives analyze evidence
Watch: MLB Team Makes ‘Middle School Mistake’ As Season Continues to Spiral
Biden seeks to block DOJ release of 2017 audio, court filing says
Should ‘The View’ Be Considered News? ABC and FCC Go to Battle Over Embattled Show
Major Evangelic Denomination Sees Memberships Fall Amid Debates Over Female Pastors, Growing Distrust
‘Free beer’ for Trump death Dem activist running for Wisconsin gov: ‘I will win’ if they silence me
Virginia Democrats’ $70M redistricting gamble backfires after court defeat, ignites blame game
The Harsh Reality Everyone’s Missing About Massive Lithium Find in Appalachia
Rand Paul vows to keep pressure on Fauci as statute of limitations on criminal referral expires Monday
Fact Check: Is Hantavirus Poised to Become a COVID-Style Pandemic?
Virginia Democrats roasted over spelling mistakes in redistricting documents
This Is How Terror Spreads: 3 Australian Women Back from Syria Face Slavery, Terrorism Charges
The opinion offers examples of other 30-day sentences for assaulting members of Congress and notes that the damage paled in comparison to that of Boucher, who broke five of Paul’s ribs and caused injuries that later required part of Paul’s lung to be removed.
For example, in 1981, two defendants were each sentenced to 30 days for throwing eggs at a congressman without hitting him, while a third defendant was sentenced to 15 days for spitting on a senator at an airport, writes Stranch, an Obama appointee.
“These prison terms were similar to Boucher’s, but the offense conduct was quite different—as the Government argues, ‘it is difficult to understand why a tackle resulting in long-term serious injuries warrants the same sentence as an egg toss or spit in the face,’” the ruling states.
Marco Rubio Reveals the Message He Delivered Pope Leo During ‘Important Meeting’ at Vatican
Trump says US helped secure release of 5 prisoners in Belarus deal, thanks Lukashenko
Savannah Guthrie urges public to help find missing mother Nancy in emotional Mother’s Day post
Kristin Smart search ends with no remains found as detectives analyze evidence
Watch: MLB Team Makes ‘Middle School Mistake’ As Season Continues to Spiral
Biden seeks to block DOJ release of 2017 audio, court filing says
Should ‘The View’ Be Considered News? ABC and FCC Go to Battle Over Embattled Show
Major Evangelic Denomination Sees Memberships Fall Amid Debates Over Female Pastors, Growing Distrust
‘Free beer’ for Trump death Dem activist running for Wisconsin gov: ‘I will win’ if they silence me
Virginia Democrats’ $70M redistricting gamble backfires after court defeat, ignites blame game
The Harsh Reality Everyone’s Missing About Massive Lithium Find in Appalachia
Rand Paul vows to keep pressure on Fauci as statute of limitations on criminal referral expires Monday
Fact Check: Is Hantavirus Poised to Become a COVID-Style Pandemic?
Virginia Democrats roasted over spelling mistakes in redistricting documents
This Is How Terror Spreads: 3 Australian Women Back from Syria Face Slavery, Terrorism Charges
However, the ruling adds that “while that is true, those three cases occurred roughly 40 years ago, before the Sentencing Commission or the Guidelines even existed. Their age and limited number make them less helpful to our analysis.”
More recent cases involving assaults on federal officers involve significantly longer sentences, such as a 2015 sentence of 24 months for a defendant who pushed a door into the arm of a government doctor and a 2014 case in which the defendant was given 21 months for bloodying a customs officer’s nose and ear.
Story cited here.









