A federal choose has dismissed the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool vandalism criminal case towards former Olympian David Hearn, in response to an order filed on Thursday.
In his order granting partially the Division of Justice’s request to dismiss the case, Affiliate Decide Todd Edelman stated he would wait to find out whether or not to grant the dismissal with prejudice — successfully blocking the federal government from making an attempt to cost Hearn once more for a similar alleged crime sooner or later — after listening to extra arguments from the federal government and Hearn’s attorneys.
Edelman has set forth a submitting schedule for each events and stated he would schedule a listening to for oral argument in some unspecified time in the future when all submissions are made.
Former U.S. Olympic canoeist David Hearn stands together with his lawyer as they communicate to reporters following Hearn’s arraignment on a felony destruction of property cost associated to vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, at DC Superior Courtroom in Washington, July 9, 2026.
Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters
The Justice Division moved final week to dismiss the criminal case towards Hearn, acknowledging the harm to the pool “was the results of flawed set up by the contractor.” U.S. Lawyer Jeanine Pirro’s movement sought to dismiss the case with out prejudice, which may nonetheless go away Hearn uncovered to a future indictment.
Attorneys for Hearn filed a motion this week looking for to have the indictment towards him dismissed with prejudice, citing “distinctive info and circumstances.”
“Defying each decency and customary sense, the federal government proceeded to indict Mr. Hearn earlier than it had obtained or evaluated the knowledge mandatory to determine a good-faith foundation for the cost,” the submitting acknowledged.
“The Courtroom shouldn’t go away the defendant topic to the potential of renewed prosecution,” the submitting acknowledged.
Hearn, a former U.S. Olympic canoeist, pleaded not responsible to a felony destruction of property charge final month after Pirro’s workplace accused him of “forcefully and violently” ripping up components of the pool flooring.
Pirro’s workplace stated in its submitting looking for to drop the case that it solely realized of proof pointing to “a rushed and flawed set up course of” after Hearn had been indicted by a grand jury.
President Donald Trump this week blasted Pirro’s transfer to drop the case, saying she “choked” and “folded like an umbrella,” and continued to push allegations that vandals had been answerable for chopping and tearing the pool lining.
