Koji Sasahara/AP/File via CNN Newsource

By Holmes Lybrand

(CNN) - Former Olympic canoeist David Hearn pleaded not guilty in Washington, DC, Superior Court Thursday to damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, prompting a raucous scene at the courthouse where supporters chanted his name and accused the Trump administration of abusing the justice system.

Hearn, 67, was indicted on July 2 on one count of destruction of property of more than $1,000 for allegedly damaging the Reflecting Pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial.

The felony charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, if convicted.

Hearn's indictment was a notably aggressive prosecutorial choice by DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro, after he and several others were cited for tampering with the Reflecting Pool last month. Gawkers and critics of the president had gathered for days around the site on the National Mall after the Trump administration completed a $14 million restoration of the massive pool that added blue sealant to the bottom.

The sealant had been peeling extensively and algae was plaguing the pool at the time Hearn visited it and allegedly contributed to the damage by peeling up two square feet of the blue liner.

 The government's evidence is weak,  Mary Dohrmann, an attorney for Hearn, said during the hearing Thursday.

His attorneys also invoked his right to a speedy trial, but the judge said she couldn't hold a trial till February 2027 because of the court's calendar.

No trial date was set. His next hearing is scheduled for August 5.

Hearn's attorneys indicated he will challenge the legality of the case extensively before a trial.

After the brief court appearance, a large group of the well-known canoeist's supporters gathered outside the courthouse carrying signs calling Hearn a hero. At least one carried a life preserver.

 If Mr. Hearn can be charged with a felony for touching the Reflecting Pool, every American is at risk,  another attorney for Hearn, Norm Eisen, said outside the courthouse.

 That's right!  a woman in the crowd yelled.

 We have confidence in our justice system to see throug

#cbs58   #crimewatchmilwaukee