Judge criticizes Trump pressure in Reflecting Pool vandalism case

A District of Columbia Superior Court judge has expressed concern regarding President Donald Trump’s public pressure on federal prosecutors in the case of former Olympian David Hearn. Hearn was originally charged with causing over $1,000 in damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, but the U.S. Attorney’s Office recently moved to dismiss the indictment after acknowledging the damage resulted from a “flawed installation” rather than vandalism.

Judge Todd Edelman questioned why prosecutors requested the dismissal be “without prejudice,” a move that would allow the government to re-file charges in the future. Hearn’s attorneys are seeking a dismissal “with prejudice” to prevent further prosecution, arguing that the administration’s public accusations against him constitute an improper pressure campaign. During the hearing, government attorneys were unable to provide a definitive reason for why they would object to a permanent dismissal, stating only that they could not predict what future evidence might bring.