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David Hearn’s Reflecting Pool Vandal Case Permanently Dismissed
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- David Hearn’s Reflecting Pool Vandal Case Permanently Dismissed
Topline
A judge dropped the Reflecting Pool vandalism case against former Olympian David Hearn on Thursday, dismissing it with prejudice and preventing the government from reinstituting charges against Hearn.
Hearn was arraigned in July.
Key Facts
Hearn, who was accused of ripping out a portion of the Reflecting Pool's new sealant, cannot be charged again.
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Judge Todd E. Edelman acknowledged in "virtually all" of the Washington, D.C., superior court's cases, the court enters dismissals without prejudice, noting Hearn's case was a "markedly different scenario."
Edelman noted federal prosecutors realized their case lacked merit and the investigation into Hearn and the pool found the damage to the landmark was caused by a contractor's "rushed and botched" installation of lining.
Edelman said prosecutors' legal arguments make clear that bringing another case against Hearn is "theoretical at best, and more likely, is simply fanciful."
Hearn faced a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison for his case, with President Donald Trump suggesting he would have liked to see Hearn and other alleged Reflecting Pool vandals jailed for " for a long time. "
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Crucial Quote
"While all defendants deal with some degree of uncertainty regarding the odds of re-prosecution after a case has been dismissed, Mr. Hearn faces the unique possibility that the government will revive this case – one that it has already announced to be meritless – based on political pressure brought by the President of the United States upon his subordinate officers," Edelman added in his ruling.
Key Background
Trump blasted U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's decision to drop the vandalism case against Hearn, doubling down on his unfounded claims that vandals caused the majority of damage to the Reflecting Pool. A total of four people were initially charged in the vandal case but all charges have since been dropped. Pirro's office found documents that indicated "a rushed and flawed installation process, with repeated failures of the lining during the installation process, and extensive peeling of the lining throughout the Reflecting Pool." Pirro also acknowledged information provided to her office about the pool and Hearn made it "difficult to attribute the widespread damage to the Reflecting Pool to vandalism, let alone to establish that fact beyond a reasonable doubt." The Reflecting Pool renovations began in May and ran into several issues including algae blooms that turned the water green in addition to peeled and bubbled lining. The pool's renovation cost has ballooned past $14 million, far past the initial estimated cost of $1.8 million.
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Further Reading
Trump Doubles Down On Reflecting Pool Vandal Claims—After Pirro Drops Vandalism Case (Forbes)
This article was originally published on Forbes.com
