Industry News
A Connecticut man faces a felony charge after an alleged assault on the slopes of Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah, left another skier with serious injuries, reports KSL News Radio.
Paul Howard Kauffman, 63, of Wilton, Connecticut, was charged Wednesday, April 23, in Summit County’s 3rd District Court with aggravated assault resulting in serious injury, a second-degree felony. According to charging documents, the incident occurred on March 15, when Kauffman became involved in a dispute with another skier, a man in his 60s who also resides outside Utah. Park City police say Kauffman accused the other man of cutting him off on the ski slope before tackling him while the victim still had his skis on.
The force of the tackle caused the victim to fall, resulting in multiple injuries. Medical reports detail a multidirectional tear of the medial meniscus, an ACL tear, a partial tear of the fibular collateral ligament, a grade 2 chondral fissuring of the patella median ridge, and a minimally impacted fracture of the lateral tibial plateau. The victim reported feeling a “pop” in his knee as he hit the snow with Kauffman on top of him.
Court proceedings are ongoing. Kauffman has not entered a plea, and no trial date has been set as of Thursday. The Summit County Attorney’s Office declined to comment further on the pending case.
The maximum sentence for aggravated assault resulting in serious injury, classified as a second-degree felony in Utah, is an indeterminate prison term of up to 15 years and a fine of up to $10,000. The minimum prison sentence is typically one year, though some statutes specify a minimum of two years; however, the standard range is one to 15 years. The Utah Board of Pardons and Parole determines the actual time served. Judges may also have the discretion to suspend the prison term and impose probation, depending on the circumstances of the case.
