Judges dismisses Reflecting Pool case permanently, cites risk Trump will force new charges

Former Olympian David Hearn exits DC Superior Court in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, July 9, 2026.Daniel Heuer | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesA Washington judge on Thursday dismissed the Reflecting Pool vandalism case against former U.S. Olympic canoeist David Hearn with prejudice, barring prosecutors from refiling the same charges in the future.In a court order, D.C. Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman said he was blocking the possibility of a revived prosecution in light of the case's "exceptional circumstances" — including "political pressure" from President Donald Trump.Edelman noted that Trump, who ordered renovations to the Lincoln Memorial's pool this year, angrily lashed out at D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro after she moved to dismiss the case and admitted that damage to the water feature was caused by a "flawed installation," not vandalism.Trump has continued to claim that vandals cut a gash hundreds of feet long in the protective lining of the pool."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 a...