Rand Paul's neighbor in court Friday

The neighbor accused of attacking Sen. Rand Paul outside his Kentucky home is appearing in court Friday. According to court records, Rene Boucher is making an initial appearance in federal district court in Bowling Green, Kentucky, after he was charged with assaulting a member of Congress as part of a federal plea agreement in January. 

In January, Boucher’s attorney, Matt Baker, said his client may face jail time, but said that will be up to the judge. Prosecutors claimed in court last month that Boucher, a 59-year-old retired physician, “had enough” after he apparently saw Paul leave a pile of brush on his own lawn, and attacked the senator.

According to court documents, Boucher tackled Paul while Paul was mowing his yard in November, ultimately giving the senator six broken ribs. The injuries kept Paul out of the Senate during key legislative debate over tax reform. Paul said the injuries left him in a “living hell.”

“It was sort of, I guess, a living hell for the first four or five weeks. Couldn’t get out of bed without assistance, six broken ribs, damage to my lungs, two bouts of pneumonia. It was really a tough go of it. But each day I feel a little bit better. This last month I’ve been doing better,” Paul told CBS News’ Face the Nation in January.