Prosecutors Move to Dismiss Felony Charge Against David Hearn in Reflecting Pool Case
The U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C. moved to dismiss a felony vandalism charge against David Hearn, citing contractor installation errors.
2 reports on this incident · first at Aug 17, 2026, 1:16 p.m. ET
This case is not concluded. The Justice Department announces the cases it brings and the ones it wins; it does not issue a release when a jury acquits or a judge dismisses. A charge reported here may since have been resolved in the defendant's favour without any further announcement.
We last searched for new coverage of this at Aug 18, 2026, 1:38 a.m. ET — checked 7h ago.
Earlier reports
Aug 17, 2026, 1:16 p.m. ETFirst report
Prosecutors Move to Dismiss Felony Charge Against David Hearn Over Reflecting Pool Damage; Case Unresolved
Prosecutors with the office of U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro charged David "Davey" Hearn with a felony, according to NBC Washington. The case is at the charging stage and has not been resolved. No conviction, acquittal, plea or other outcome has been recorded. The charge is an allegation only, and Hearn is presumed innocent.
According to NBC Washington, prosecutors alleged that Hearn vandalized and damaged the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool's new paint liner. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said Hearn was a vandal and said, "He damaged the pool." The felony charge carries a statutory maximum of up to 10 years.
NBC Washington reported that Pirro's office later moved to dismiss. In moving to dismiss, the office wrote that the damage was not caused by Hearn but was "a result of flawed installation by the contractor."
A motion to dismiss is a request, not a disposition. The reporting available does not record whether a court has acted on it, and the matter should be treated as open and undecided unless and until a later ruling is reported.
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Revision history
- Version 117 Aug 2026, 17:26current
First published.
- Version 117 Aug 2026, 17:16current
First published.
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