Judge Dismisses Vandalism Case Against Olympian in Rebuke to DOJ

Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman issued a 26-page ruling declaring that the case against Hearn must be dismissed with prejudice, barring the Department of Justice from ever reviving the charges. Edelman’s findings revealed that the damage to the site resulted from a contractor’s botched renovation work rather than any act of vandalism, rendering the initial indictment entirely baseless.

Legal counsel for Hearn condemned the prosecution as a gross miscarriage of justice, arguing that the administration should not be permitted multiple opportunities to weaponize the criminal justice system against an innocent individual. Representative Jamie Raskin joined the criticism, mocking the efforts of US Attorney Jeanine Pirro and suggesting the administration focus its investigative resources elsewhere. The ruling follows months of public pressure from Trump, who had openly rebuked his own appointees for attempting to drop the case, labeling the incident a clear act of destruction despite the technical evidence to the contrary.