Rowan Pool Hoppers Won’t Be Prosecuted

In exchange for agreeing to perform 40 hours of community service, charges against two suburban Maryland teen-agers accused of illegally entering columnist Carl Rowan’s back yard will be dropped, the U.S. attorney’s office announced.

Misdemeanor charges of unlawful entry were filed against Benjamin Smith, 18, and Laura Bachman, 19, after Rowan discovered intruders in the pool area of his Washington home the night of June 14 and fired an unregistered pistol, wounding Smith. The settlement was arranged in a hearing Tuesday in District of Columbia Superior Court.

The U.S. attorney’s office on June 23 declined to file assault charges against Rowan and referred the firearms violation to the D. C. Corporation Counsel. A spokesman for that office said the case was still under review.