The man who attempted to assassinate U.S. District Judge Timothy Corrigan at his home will spend the rest of his life in prison.
Aaron Richardson was sentenced to 343 years Friday morning by U.S. District Judge Scott Coogler.
Attempts for leniency by Richardson’s defense team due to his mental health were denied, as Coogler found he meticulously planned the violence he carried out in June 2013.
Corrigan and his wife, Nancy, offered statements to the court prior to sentencing.
Nancy Corrigan spoke of how the day "changed our lives forever."
For her, it meant having one of her sons stay over when Corrigan was out of town for the first year. Or compulsively checking the security system.
Both she and the judge still flinch, she said, when they hear loud noises — immediately looking around to see where a bullet could have come from.
"Unfortunately, because of Mr. Richardson's actions, life will never be quite the same again," she said.
Timothy Corrigan said his biggest regret is the impact it's had on his wife.
He doesn't hold anger toward Richardson, the judge said.
The attention the case has received was not about trying to kill him, Corrigan told the court. Instead, it was because it was an assault on the justice system.
"When Mr. Richardson took dead aim at my head and pulled the trigger, he directly attacked the rule of law that is so vital to our nation’s identity," said Corrigan.
Coogler in his sentencing concurred with that sentiment and said given the violence associated with it, it "screams out for a significant sentence."