Judge weighs how to dismiss Reflecting Pool vandalism charge against Olympian
President Trump has said damage to the Reflecting Pool was due to vandalism, not to a flawed installation of a new liner as prosecutors say.
TL;DR
- A judge will rule on dismissing charges against former Olympic canoeist David Hearn for allegedly vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
- Prosecutors admit there are no current grounds to sustain a criminal case and that damage resulted from flawed installation, not Hearn's actions.
- Prosecutors requested dismissal without prejudice, allowing them to refile charges if new evidence emerges.
- Hearn's lawyer argued for dismissal with prejudice, to protect him from future baseless charges.
- President Trump has publicly disagreed with the prosecutors' assessment, calling the incident vandalism.
- The judge questioned the speed of the indictment and the influence of Trump's public comments.