Judge dismisses Reflecting Pool case against Olympian, bars DOJ from refiling charges
The dismissal ends the Justice Department’s case after prosecutors said evidence showed the damage came from a contractor’s flawed installation.
- On Thursday, Judge Todd Edelman permanently dismissed the vandalism case against former Olympian David Hearn with prejudice, barring the U.S. Attorney's Office from refiling charges related to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
- Federal prosecutors moved to drop the felony charges in July after evidence revealed damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool resulted from a "rushed, botched paint job" by contractor Atlantic Industrial Coatings.
- Attorney Steve Levin argued the government lacked a case, noting they could not prove more than $1,000 in damage. Judge Edelman sided with attorneys who claimed there was "no valid reason" to keep the prosecution active.
- Norm Eisen announced the final outcome Thursday, confirming the case was dismissed "with prejudice." He called it a "huge victory for Davey" and the legal team, ending the saga.
- Judge Edelman had questioned whether maintaining the case amounted to a "unique threat of meritless re-prosecution," pressing prosecutors on whether Donald Trump's public statements constituted pressure on U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's office.
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71 Articles
Judge Blocks Feds From Charging Olympian
An aerial view, taken through the window of an airplane, of the National Mall, including the Washington Monument and ongoing construction at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, in Washington, D.C., U.S., September 16, 2026. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper(Washington, DC)
Reflecting Pool vandalism charges against Olympic canoeist David Hearn permanently dismissed
In August, prosecutors asked a judge to dismiss Reflecting Pool vandalism charges against David Hearn because the damage had been caused by a contractor's "botched installation."
Judge Permanently Dismisses Case Against Olympian Accused Of Vandalizing Reflecting Pool - American Liberty News
A Washington, D.C. judge permanently dismissed the criminal case against former U.S. Olympian David Hearn on Thursday, preventing federal prosecutors from reviving a felony vandalism charge that collapsed after the Justice Department acknowledged that faulty construction—not vandalism—caused damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. D.C. Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman dismissed Hearn’s case “with prejudice,” […]
The court dismissed the case against an exathlete, accused of vandalism in Washington, preventing his reactivation by political pressure.Probations exonerated the defendant, attributing damage to installation errors.The decision is seen as a setback for the current administration.
D.C. judge permanently dismisses case charging ex-Olympian with vandalizing Reflecting Pool
D.C. Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman ordered the dismissal of David Hearn’s case with “prejudice,” which would block U.S. Atty. Jeanine Pirro’s office from refiling the felony charge against him. The judge ruled nearly a month after hearing attorneys’ arguments.
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