Overview
- D.C. Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman set a jury trial for Sept. 28 in the felony destruction‑of‑property case against former Olympian David Hearn.
- Defense lawyers say that when they inspected the drained pool on July 16 they found a section of the new liner missing and have filed a motion to dismiss for the government's failure to preserve evidence.
- Prosecutors allege Hearn forcefully pulled up about two square feet of the liner with his bare hands while Hearn says he only touched a piece that was already detached.
- Independent experts and contractor records point to fast‑tracked, largely no‑bid renovation work, a darker polyurea‑style liner that raises water temperature, incomplete replacement of buried circulation pipes, and poor sealing as likely technical causes of peeling and algae.
- Judge Edelman denied the dismissal without prejudice, urged prosecutors to preserve the site, set a Sept. 11 readiness hearing, and left open further disputes that could prompt congressional oversight, preservation litigation, and new forensic review.