A judge on Thursday permanently dismissed the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool vandalism case against former Olympian David Hearn, who was accused of damaging the costly $14 million renovation project in June.D.C.Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman’s ruling marks the end of a monthslong legal battle that included President Donald Trump criticizing U.S.
Attorney Jeanine Pirro after she moved to voluntarily dismiss the federal charges in late July.Unlike Pirro’s decision, Thursday’s ruling was made with prejudice, meaning the Department of Justice (DOJ) cannot refile the same charges against Hearn.Edelman rejected prosecutors’ request to preserve the possibility of recharging Hearn if new evidence surfaced, finding that existing investigative findings were sufficient to show the damage stemmed from a flawed renovation job.TRUMP SAYS HE 'DISAGREES 100%' WITH U.S.ATTORNEY JEANINE PIRRO OVER REFLECTING POOL CASEDavid Hearn was accused of damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in June.
(David Madison/Getty Images, File; Reuters/Annabelle Gordon)"In the exceptional circumstances posed by this case, the government has no right to retain the ability to compound the errors it has already made, or even to threaten to do so, at Mr.Hearn’s expense," Edelman said.
"This case must be dismissed with prejudice, and the government must thus be barred from reinstituting this charge against Mr.Hearn."Hearn’s counsel described the decision as a victory for "an innocent American seeking justice.""This case never should have been brought in the first place.
This was a miscarriage of justice, and what happened to Mr.Hearn is an outrage that should shock every American.
This administration chose to pursue an unjust prosecution against Mr.Hearn.
It should not get repeated chances to wield the power of criminal prosecution against someone who should never have been prosecuted," Hearn’s counsel said in a statement.Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for com...