Judge bars Jeanine Pirro’s office from bringing Reflecting Pool case after Trump comments

A D. C. Superior Court judge has permanently shut down the Reflecting Pool prosecution of David "Davey" Hearn, a former Olympic canoeist, and barred the office of U. S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro from charging him again. Judge Todd Edelman's Thursday ruling dismissed the case with prejudice, ending any chance of a new attempt. The dispute drew attention because of pressure from Donald Trump, who tied his wish for a prosecution to the political views of Hearn and of one of his lawyers, Norm Eisen, according to NBC News.

Pirro's office had already abandoned the case in late July, after its own evidence showed the portion of the Reflecting Pool Hearn allegedly touched was damaged beforehand and that it could not demonstrate more than $1,000 in harm, too little for a felony. Hearn's team then asked the court to block any future charges. At a hearing last month, Edelman pressed prosecutor Spence to name any scenario in which a case could realistically be revived. Spence had no satisfactory answer, said no investigation of Hearn was underway at that moment but that this might change, and said Trump's statements speak for themselves.

Summarized by PolitiKool from NBC News’s reporting. Read the full story at NBC News →