More insanity everyday.

charged with a Felony, I can't wait to see what the MAGAot Cops across America do next.........

He should demand a trial by jury, one or more will rule not guilty and that's all it takes.........

Trying to prove to the MAGA cult that it wasn't done by Trump and his shitty workers...............

Doesn't matter that who ever the cop was that signed the arrest warrant, committed perjury, along with all the witnesses.....

Likely workers standing and around being paid to lie.

Then pulling up strongly to detach the liner from the bottom?

If not, then whatever the defendant did came AFTER the alleged vandalism.

It's a pain in the ASS for Hearn but he's not going to be found guilty. Afterwards, he can sue for vindictive pprosecution and probably net a nice sum of money.

Last edited Thu Jul 2, 2026, 08:10 PM - Edit history (1)

First of all, it's a distinctly upper middle class viewpoint to look at catastrophic political and social problems and see civil lawsuits as some sort of solution. Here is the right-wing take: "oh, they're trying to sue and cash in." That's what the whole right-wing tort reform nonsense is about. Most people cannot afford to use the legal system to their advantage, and no one should be forced to in response to this sort of abuse of power and persecution of innocent people.

Secondly, the chilling effect on any dissent is what's important here, not whether or not he eventually wins in court. The administration is trying to set an example. Millions of people are now reconsidering what they do and what they say, lest they become victims of this lawless regime.

Next, we have the fact that this administration, like all dictatorial authoritarian regimes, doesn't give a hoot what a court says. So they lose this case, they'll ignore it or they'll go after somebody else.

Lastly, whether or not this particular individual wins in court or not, and whether or not he's able to cash in on some sort of lawsuit, nevertheless, he is suffering today. His life has been disrupted today.

It isn't really relevant.

The DOJ will lose their lawsuit? I don't even knoiw what that means.

Still, the guy will be out the lawyer's fee.

MSNOW was just showing a split screen of Pirro describing how violent and offensive Hearn was and of video of him talking to the soldiers and the park police very calmly.

for this guy to be charged with a felony.

…just because Dear Leader is feeling embarrassed.

And I wouldn’t be too confident about an acquittal, either. Regimes like this don’t stage show trials for “not guilty” verdicts. I’m sure they’ll manufacture as much evidence as they need to “prove” the vandalism.

And he's got a very good lawyer.

The statute he's being charged under reads as follows: Whoever maliciously injures or breaks or destroys, or attempts to injure or break or destroy, by fire or otherwise, any public or private property, whether real or personal, not his or her own, of the value of $1,000 or more, shall be fined not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01 or shall be imprisoned for not more than 10 years, or both, and if the property has some value shall be fined not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01 or imprisoned for not more than 180 days, or both."

Typically, convicting someone of the crime of malicious destruction of property requires proof, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the defendant acted with willful intent, not by accident or mistake, with ill will, spite, or a willful disregard of a known risk that the property would be harmed and without excuse or mitigating circumstances.

Pirro is going to have a tough time convincing a jury that someone who saw a floating piece of debris on the reflecting pool and picked it up acted with willful, malicious intent or that the value of the piece of floating debris was $1000 or more. My guess is that they were able to obtain the indictment by claiming that the value of the damage should measured against the value of the entire reflecting pool.

.. .unless she stood on a brick, and even then, odds are she'd miss the mark.

All they need is some anti-Trump posts, and a jury gullible enough to believe whoever they trot out as "witnesses", to put this guy in a federal prison.

And your lack of faith in DC juries is at odds with reality.

What a spectacle that would be!

Don't go with the judge.

from the "arresting" officer, maybe, but what that would show......who knows? And I'm reasonably sure, if indeed there is video, that it won't be released publicly.

not touching anything inside the pool when arrested (he says he was away from the pool when approached by police), so I don't think the body cam video can possibly show anything supporting the arrest.

But we're talking about Trump's DOI (Department of Injustice) here. With them, anything is possible.

Hasn't the media been asking to see it to establish someone did not slash the lining with a knife?

It will probably go the way of the Mar-A-Lago video tapes of the classified material...

He used no tools.
Pirro said he used two hands. (Do they have video evidence???)
Two hands could imply pulling and tugging. (Do they have video evidence???) One hand could imply removing a lose piece.

I think this case will be thrown out or he will be found not guilty, unless there is something that I'm not understanding.

At the very worst, he would have pulled and tugged on a pool liner. But is that destruction?

similar to it. All the ones where the only "evidence" is rump's vindictiveness on display and pirro's egomania and fantasm of her idol. Those two are so clearly seen through to their very core. But I didn't get one of the answers above... is a jury trial demanded or not because it's a Fed trial? I do hope so. I believe this is one where a jury of one's peers will throw it out at the first possible time.

Although it's a "felony"...(cough, cough) .many federal misdemeanors are decided via bench trials. Didn't sandwich guy have a jury trial?

I would opt for jury trial. He's being "overcharged".

Even if he pulled and tugged at the thing, odds are if found guilty of vandalism, he would probably just be fined.

NT

Securing an indictment is one thing; securing a conviction in Washington against an Olympian who touched the Reflecting Pool is something else

It’s one thing for Jeanine Pirro to secure a dubious indictment through the grand jury process.

It’s something else for her to secure a conviction in DC against an Olympian who touched the Reflecting Pool.
www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-07-02T19:22:02.513Z

Trump's series of colossal blunders as he fiddles with our sacred public spaces. Trump is the felon.

This is just undue harassment.

Peace ☮️

NT

On the Republican ticket, of course. What a pathetic, shameful thing to do to this man.

Touching peeling paint is an actual felony now?

knowing this case is a joke. The’ll just be going through the motions with the “viore dire”, truth telling process.
It’s likely the jury poll will be from the D.C. area.

... the Trump regime's evil can only be measured in astronomical terms. Solar units, parsecs, and lightyears. But let's invent a new unit of measure: How about a "Miller"? Now that would cover a LOT of ground!
I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to give Pol Pot a run for his money. Then he could charge admission to the killing fields.
Trump is an out-of-control monster. Do NOT underestimate his capacity for unbridled malice. And DON'T turn your back on him!
On the outside chance you're still on speaking terms with a MAGAt, take any and every opportunity to remind them that they OWN this motherfucker, and they WILL pay dearly for their perfidy, because he is going DOWN, and he is going down HARD.

Oh, and Mr. Hearn's lawyers must skin Trump's goons alive in court.

Raise a million in a couple of hours.....

I think Norm Eisen. I would not be surprised if he did it pro Bono.

But it's great that he won't be bled dry because of Fat Hitler and Judge Winebox.

couple of obtuse effin' clowns

over the damn thing.

It's his job to come up with the newest FAKE assassination attempt on Trump. No doubt they want to pull one during the disaster "County Fair" but there's only 10-20 people there at any given moment.

A good citizen!

That would be the ass who fucking thought up the whole scheme

I will be shocked if a DC jury convicts.

There are no words.

America's sympathy will be SOLIDLY behind Hearn and against the lying ahole and his drunken, shrieking bitch. I think this is going to become a BIG story because it so perfectly captures trump's constant targeting of innocents to suffer for his own endless screwups.

Gee, an olympian athlete vs. trump. Who will win?

At worst, it'll come before a jury and evidence will be shown that will cripple the state's claims.
Unfortunately it may cost him some money to get that far and there's no justice in that. Perhaps he can Crowd Share.