Man assaults process server in front of his house and sons

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Lacey police say a man assaulted a process server attempting to serve him with court documents on Thursday, April 22.

Robert Paganini, 45, allegedly attacked Kenneth Legault, 53, a legal officer of the court while Legault was on Paganini’s driveway.

Legault told Lacey Police that he arrived at the house on Lexington Place NE in Lacey, parked his car in the driveway, and knocked on the front door several times with no response. Legault was wearing a gold-colored badge on his chest which stated he was a State of Washington “Authorized Process Server.” Legault returned to his car, heard dogs barking from inside the house and a person telling Legault to “go away.”

Legault returned to the front door, knocking again, and was told to go away a second time. Legault saw an open window, verbalized that he was an officer of the court, and asked if Paganini lived there. He was told to go away a third time by the person inside the home. Legault thought the voice sounded like an adult female, not a child, and assumed it was an attempt to avoid Paganini from being served.

Legault returned to his car in Paganini’s driveway. A white truck drove up behind Legault’s car and blocked the car in the driveway.

Paganini and his 26-year-old son Daniel exited the truck, approached Legault and Paganini allegedly assaulted Legault three times in the face. Paganini accused Legault of scaring Paganini’s 12-year-old son who was inside the home, making him cry. Paganini grabbed Legault’s legs and arms, attempting to “yank” him out of Legault’s car, before Daniel Paganini separated the two.

Legault was able to maneuver his car out, driving down the street and parked. Legault said that he feared for his life that Paganini would have “beaten him to death” had Daniel not interfered.

Despite officers cataloging several red marks on Legault, Paganini denied making physical contact with Legault. Paganini claimed that he told Legualt to get the “fuck” off Paganini’s property. As Lacey Police continued to question Paganini, he became more “uncooperative” and stated that “he couldn’t recall what else occurred.”

Paganini’s son, Daniel, told Lacey Police that Legault had kicked at Paganini and that Paganini “bitch slapped” Legault across the face. It was also noted in the police report that Daniel had originally told Lacey Police that Paganini had punched Legault “one time” in the face and Daniel had to separate the two because Paganini was “heated.”

Paganini’s 12-year-old son inside the house told Lacey Police that he was on his school Zoom lunch break when Legault started knocking and continued to knock, despite the 12-year-old telling Legault to go away.

Paganini was booked for Simple Assault into the Nisqually Jail.

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