Attorney for former Olympian accused of Reflecting Pool vandalism: Not a crime to 'touch water' [View all]

The former U.S. Olympian arrested on misdemeanor charges for allegedly vandalizing the newly revamped Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool said he was "never read" his Miranda rights after his arrest and plans to fight the charges against him.

David Hearn, 67, on Monday denied allegations that he damaged government property by reaching into the waters of the Reflecting Pool to see what it felt like. His attorney also argued that federal authorities have no legal basis for the two misdemeanor citations issued after his arrest.

"There's no basis for this. We're going to contest it vigorously," said Hearn's attorney, Norm Eisen, who sat alongside him in an interview on MS NOW. "It's not a federal crime to touch water."

President Trump on Saturday announced that "multiple individuals" were arrested for allegedly vandalizing the Reflecting Pool, which has come under scrutiny after an algae bloom and peeling paint were discovered shortly after the completion of its multimillion-dollar renovation earlier this month.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/attorney-former-olympian-accused-reflecting-144417519.html