David Hearn, a 67-year-old former US Olympic canoeist, pleaded not guilty to deliberately damaging the recently renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Hearn entered the plea through one of his attorneys during his initial appearance in D.C. Superior Court.
Background
Hearn was indicted last week on a felony destruction of property charge following his arrest in connection with the June 19 incident. He denied damaging the pool, saying he stopped on a bike ride and touched a loose piece of the peeling blue coating ‘to satisfy my curiosity as a citizen.’ The Reflecting Pool recently underwent a $14 million rehabilitation project under President Trump.
Prosecutor Kevin Reddington said the government wasn’t seeking any court supervision for Hearn, but just a ‘stay-away order,’ without specifying in court where it wanted to keep Hearn away from. Mary Dohrmann, one of Hearn’s attorneys, urged the judge not to impose any conditions of court supervision, calling Hearn an ‘upstanding citizen and member of the community.’ Dohrmann also said ‘the government’s evidence is weak.’
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
