
The USA vs David Hearn is a bullshit case that will never see trial and is a total waste of court resources.
Hearn was charged with felony destruction of property, one of several “vandals” who allegedly damaged the Washington Monument Reflecting Pool. According to Jeanine Pirro, US Attorney for the District of Columbia, he ripped out a chunk of the pool liner with both hands.
This amazing act of antifa destruction occurred during the middle of the day, with dozens of Park Police and National Guard nearby, none of whom witnessed or recorded it on their bodyworn cameras. It wasn’t captured, either, by the numerous photojournalists present (the Reflecting Pool was in the news) nor by the dozens of tourists with their iPhones. If it was filmed by the security cameras mounted on the Lincoln Memorial, Pirro didn’t mention it.
There is video of him being arrested next to the Reflecting Pool but he’s not holding a piece of pool liner, there’s no ripped pool liner nearby and there’s no paint on his hands.
But Trump wanted a vandal arrested so they found one.
The Arraignment
Hearn was arraigned on the felony in DC Superior Court this morning. He faces up to ten years in prison.
Outside the court, was the largest “court support” demonstration I have ever seen. As his attorney would later argue, Hearn has long-standing ties to the community. That was evident from the number of people who turned out for him.
Many also see this as an abuse of power and a distraction from the real problems of this country, like the affordability crisis and the never-ending quagmire of the Iran War. Their signs read:
The Deflecting Pool: Never Admit Failure
Paint won’t stick; you must acquit
Scapegoat for the Deflecting Pool fail
We are all David Hearn
Trump stuck in a straight of warm ooze
Live via WebEx
After seeing the protest, I rushed home to watch the arraignment via WebEx.
I’m a veteran courtwatcher, having viewed arraignments, status hearings and even trials of chud criminals who do stupid shit and end up before a judge. Most notably, this includes Bryan Betancur, the J6er arrested for touching women’s hair in the Metro. He stalked a friend of mine so I’ve been following his journey through the criminal justice system for more than three years.
Arraignments are typically dismal affairs. Defendants are brought before the court, charges are read and the judge decides whether to release them or not, and under what conditions. It can be depressing, for it is mostly domestic assault cases and the defendants typically test positive for drugs (PCP is a fav).
99% of people are released under personal recognizance, which is a promise to show up back in court. A lot of defendants also receive some kind of restriction, like a stay away order for a person and/or location. Some have to wear a GPS tracker and/or report to pretrial services. You generally only get held if you’re a danger to the community or have a track record of non-compliance (like Betancur).
The USA vs David Hearn was called at 9:30 AM in DC Superior Court. Every seat in the court was taken by supporters and members of the media. There were also two overflow rooms and the WebEx was filled with newbies who had their cameras on (a no-no). This was a huge difference from a typical day, where people cycle in and out of court as their cases are called, usually with just lawyers, defendants, family and maybe a court watcher or two.
He was officially charged and entered a plea of not guilty. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Reddington asked for stay away order from the Reflecting Pool. Mary Dohrmann, for the defense, argued that Hearn was an upstanding citizen with a long track record in the community and that the charge was capricious, for he had been arrested for a misdemeanor that was then changed to a felony. She asked for no restrictions.
Approach the bench, the judge said, and the husher went on so that the court couldn’t hear their private discussion.
No restrictions or a stay away order, Superior Court Judge Carmen McLean ruled. Personal recognizance. A status hearing was scheduled for August 5 to cover discovery motions and any other issues.
The judge indicated that if there’s a trial, it won’t be until February 2027 because court resources are limited and they are focused on custodial cases, i.e., people who are already locked up.
Think about that for a moment: there are people languishing in jail, possibly innocent, who can’t get their day in court because the judicial system is busy with the case of a man who reached into the water of the Reflecting Pool.
Also, who isn’t getting prosecuted because the US Attorney Office for DC, already short-staffed, is tied up in this case?
Jeanine Pirro is neglecting her duties to keep the people of DC safe because she’s focused on a political prosecution.
The USA vs David Hearn is a bullshit case that will consume months of time that could be spent putting real criminals behind bars. It will bubble along into next year with discovery motions and status hearings, a waste of effort for all concerned, before the prosecution inevitably drops it shortly before trial.
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