Assault charges have been filed against the son of current U.S. Senator Rand Paul in connection with an incident that took place recently in the airport in Charlotte, North Carolina. According to local news sources, the 19-year-old man was arrested early this month under suspicion of consuming alcohol either before or during a flight to North Carolina. The airline that he was traveling on says that they did not serve the minor any alcohol on the flight.
Initial reports indicated that he had been charged with misdemeanors for disorderly conduct and underage drinking, but the assault charge only came to light recently. He is being accused of having used aggressive physical force against a flight attendant, those charges are also a misdemeanor.
As with any minor who is charged with underage drinking or other misdemeanors, this incident could cause some additional problems for the 19-year-old. Many people don’t realize the long lasting effects that having a violation on one’s juvenile record can have, including difficulty finding jobs, travel restrictions, or consequences from the high school, college, or university that you attend.
In this case there are few details available about the actual incident, so it’s difficult to say whether any of the charges are likely to become convictions. As with many criminal defense cases with a high profile individual, the news reports are indicating that the young man is guilty of the allegations even though no conclusive finding has been made at this time. His family has issued a statement requesting privacy and understanding.
Source: Charlotte Observer, “Police: Sen. Paul’s son assaulted flight attendant,” Cameron Steele, Jan. 12, 2013.
More information on these types of charges is available on our Raleigh underage drinking charges page.