Topic overview
In brief
- A federal judge dismissed the criminal case against David Hearn related to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool vandalism.
- The Justice Department acknowledged that the damage was due to a flawed installation by the contractor.
- The case's dismissal could prevent future charges against Hearn, depending on the judge's final ruling.
Summary
In a significant legal development, a federal judge dismissed the criminal case against David Hearn, a former U.S. Olympic canoeist, related to the vandalism of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. This decision was made by Associate Judge Todd Edelman, who issued an order on Thursday, acknowledging the Department of Justice's request to dismiss the case. The judge indicated that he would consider whether to grant the dismissal with prejudice, which would prevent future charges against Hearn, after further arguments from both the government and Hearn's legal team.
The Justice Department's motion to dismiss the case came after it recognized that the damage to the Reflecting Pool was due to a flawed installation by the contractor, rather than Hearn's actions. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's office had initially accused Hearn of forcefully damaging the pool, leading to a felony destruction of property charge. However, the government later admitted that it had not fully evaluated the evidence before proceeding with the indictment.