Would Be Reagan Assassin Hinckley Allowed More Freedom
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On March 30, 1981, John Hinckley, a Virginia native, attempted to kill President Ronald Reagan, wounding him and two others in the process. He was apprehended on the scene and on June 21, 1982, Hinckley was found “not guilty by reason of insanity” on all 13 counts against him. After the trial, Hinckley was confined to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital.
Hinckley was once allowed to make 10-day excursions outside the mental hospital he’s called home since shooting Ronald Reagan in 1981. He will now be allowed to stay with his mother in Williamsburg, Virginia, for 17 days per month, up from the 10 days per month he had been granted. A US district judge approved a recommendation from Washington’s St. Elizabeths Hospital in December,Reuters reports, and has now issued the conditions which provide “a giant leap for Mr. Hinckley,” his lawyer says. A sampling: He’ll be allowed out alone, but must carry a GPS-enabled cellphone and can’t visit government buildings.
He and his mother must also call the hospital each day, and the terms of his Internet use, travel, volunteer work, therapy, medication, and even walks within his mother’s subdivision have been laid out for him. Hinckley, 58, will also be able to drive on his own, permitted someone is expecting him. His lawyer adds, “There is no reason to fear him.” The AP notes Hinckley’s visits to his mother’s home have lengthened since he was first allowed there in 2006, with the ultimate goal that he will live there permanently. He’ll have the chance to expand his freedom even further after he’s visited Williamsburg eight times.
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Bill, you are right. Very few people outside of our professions, and some in, would know about that dynamic. The very idea of the state having to prove a negative boggles the mind.
A little known fact, at least by the average person, is that Hinkley’s case changed forever the process of pleading and proving Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity. At the time he used the insanity defense it placed the burden on the prosecution to prove that was not insane. After his case the federal government and most all states made the insanity defense an affirmative defense. This means that the burden now falls to the defense to prove that he or she is insane. Even before Hinkley’s case insanity was only used in about 1% of the cases contrary to popular belief. Persons using this defense are successful in only .1% of the cases where it is tried, also contrary to popular belief. In most cases where a person uses insanity in a criminal case they end up spending more time in a medical facility than they would have in prison.
Just for inquiring minds who want to know.
It’s been over 30 years. If he had killed a couple of non-political people, he would have been on the street long ago.
That’s likely true James.