D.C. Judge Stands Up to Political Bullying, Blocks U.S. Attorney from Targeting Former Olympian in Reflecting Pool Case
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A D.C. Superior Court judge courageously dismissed with prejudice the indictment of former Olympic canoeist Davey Hearn, shielding him from further politically motivated prosecution over alleged damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, and condemned the U.S. Attorney's office for yielding to authoritarian pressure.
A Superior Court judge in Washington, D.C., has taken a bold stand against the abuse of prosecutorial power, permanently barring the U.S. Attorney’s office from pursuing any new charges against former Olympic canoeist David "Davey" Hearn in the case involving alleged damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Judge Todd Edelman issued an order on Thursday dismissing the indictment with prejudice, citing 'exceptional circumstances' and sharply criticizing the government's rationale for seeking a new indictment as 'theoretical at best, and more likely, simply fanciful.'
The ruling highlighted the dangerous interference of President Donald Trump, who publicly condemned the decision to drop the case, demanded its reinstatement, and even threatened the removal of the U.S. Attorney for refusing to comply with his wishes. Edelman noted that the government faced 'the unique possibility' of reviving a case that had already been deemed meritless, solely due to political pressure from the highest office.
'This was a miscarriage of justice, and what happened to Mr. Hearn is an outrage that should shock every American,' Hearn’s attorneys declared in a joint statement, denouncing the original prosecution as unjust and emblematic of a system susceptible to right-wing authoritarian overreach.
The U.S. Attorney’s office, complicit in this abuse, declined to comment. In previous hearings, prosecutors failed to present any factual basis for a new prosecution, admitting that the section of the Reflecting Pool in question was already damaged and that the alleged loss was under $1,000. When pressed to justify their actions, career official Michael Spence had no answer, exposing the hollowness of the government’s case.
Attorney Steve Levin argued that the original indictment was a direct result of presidential pressure and that the government had grossly abused its prosecutorial discretion, misleading a grand jury in the process. The judge’s order now prevents the office from reviving the case, delivering a rare victory for justice and the rule of law against the tide of political intimidation.