Jump to content

US President Ronald Reagan’s would-be assassin to be freed


webfact

Recommended Posts

US President Ronald Reagan’s would-be assassin to be freed

606x341_339830.jpg

WASHINGTON: -- The man who tried to assassinate US President Ronald Reagan in 1981 can be freed from a psychiatric hospital.

A federal judge has ruled that John Hinckley Jr no longer posed a danger.

The gun attack had also wounded three other people: presidential press secretary James Brady, a police officer and a Secret Service agent.

Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity. He could be released within days to live with his mother.



euronews2.png
-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-07-28
Link to comment
Share on other sites


For would-be Reagan assassin, freedom only days away
By BEN NUCKOLS

WASHINGTON (AP) — For the past decade, the man who shot President Ronald Reagan has quietly spent a growing number of his days living with his 90-year-old mother in a gated community in Williamsburg, Virginia. On Wednesday, a judge finalized John Hinckley Jr.'s transition to freedom, ordering that Hinckley can permanently leave the psychiatric hospital where he was confined after the assassination attempt.

The order, which cannot be appealed, has been in the works for years, despite opposition by prosecutors, who sought numerous restrictions on Hinckley's freedom, most of which were agreed to by Judge Paul Friedman. Hinckley could leave St. Elizabeths Hospital as early as Aug. 5.

Hinckley, now 61, was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the March 30, 1981, shooting fueled by his obsession with the movie "Taxi Driver" and its teenage star, Jodie Foster. He used a pawn-shop revolver to fire six shots at Reagan, the president's aides and his protective detail outside a Washington hotel, wounding the president and three others.

Doctors have said for many years that Hinckley's mental illness was in remission, and Friedman concurred in his ruling. Hinckley was a "profoundly troubled 25-year-old young man" when he shot Reagan, the judge wrote, but has not exhibited symptoms of major depression or a psychotic disorder for more than 27 years.

"Mr. Hinckley, by all accounts, has shown no signs of psychotic symptoms, delusional thinking, or any violent tendencies," Friedman wrote. "The court finds that Mr. Hinckley has received the maximum benefits possible in the inpatient setting (and) that inpatient treatment is no longer clinically warranted or beneficial."

Hinckley was first allowed to leave St. Elizabeths in 2003 to visit his parents in Washington, and he began staying with them at their Williamsburg home overlooking a golf course in 2006. For the past two-plus years, he has been allowed to spend 17 days a month with his mother.

Many of the restrictions attached to Hinckley's temporary release will remain in place. He must attend individual and group therapy sessions and is barred from talking to the media. He can drive alone, but only within a 30-mile radius of Williamsburg, and the Secret Service will periodically follow him.

He also must return to Washington once a month so doctors can check on his mental state.

He will have to reside with his mother for a year. After that, he can live on his own, with roommates or in a group home in the Williamsburg area. If his mother is unable to monitor him in another setting, his brother or sister, both of whom live in the Dallas area, have agreed to stay with him until other arrangements are made. Hinckley's father died in 2008.

The government could not persuade the judge to order Hinckley to wear an electronic ankle bracelet and install a tracking device on his car.

Hinckley's longtime attorney, Barry Levine, said he and his client were gratified by the order, and that Hinckley has thrived under his new liberties.

"Mr. Hinckley recognizes that what he did was horrific. But it's crucial to understand that what he did was not an act of evil," Levine said in a statement. "It was an act caused by mental illness, an illness from which he no longer suffers."

Reagan's press secretary, James Brady, suffered debilitating injuries in the attack and died in 2014. Also wounded were police officer Thomas Delahanty and Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy.

Hinckley will be barred from trying to contact Foster, Delahanty, McCarthy or any of his victim's families.

Reaction to his release was mixed.

The late president's son, Michael Reagan, tweeted that others should forgive Hinckley the way his father did. But Reagan's daughter, Patti Davis, wrote on Facebook that "forgiving someone in your heart doesn't (mean) that you let them loose in Virginia to pursue whatever dark agendas they may still hold dear."

The foundation that honors Reagan's legacy said Hinckley should remain in custody, noting his responsibility for Brady's death, which was later ruled a homicide. Prosecutors declined to charge Hinckley with murder, in part because they would be barred from arguing he was sane at the time of the shootings.

"We believe John Hinckley is still a threat to others and we strongly oppose his release," the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute said in a statement.

Dan Gross, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, declined to offer an opinion on Hinckley's release but used the occasion to call for background checks for all gun sales, which Reagan supported. He noted in a statement that it would be "just as easy" for a would-be assassin to buy a gun today as it was for Hinckley.

Some of his mother's neighbors in Williamsburg have long been wary of Hinckley.

Tom Campbell, who lives in the same gated community, has seen him strolling on a nearby walking trail.

"From a mental illness perspective, I just have some reluctance about having him roam free like this," said Campbell, 77, a retired manager at NASA. "How can he be allowed to roam the streets as if nothing happened?"

His wife, Mary Margaret Campbell, added: "I don't think a lot of these mental illness issues go away. One never knows what a mentally ill person will do."

In an April 2015 story , The Associated Press delved into Hinckley's attempts to integrate himself into the gated Kingsmill community and greater Williamsburg area. The story noted that he wore a visor or cap over his graying hair when he drove around the city in a Toyota Avalon, going to movies and eating at fast-food restaurants. It also found that he plays guitar, paints and cares for feral cats.

Hinckley, for his part, has been frustrated at times by people's reaction to him. According to court records, many of his attempts to do volunteer work have been rebuffed, although he has volunteered at a church and a local mental hospital. He also has applied for jobs at Starbucks and Subway, without success, saying he was dismayed by having the Secret Service tail him as he sought employment.

"It made me feel awkward and uncomfortable," he said.

But he said he also enjoyed meeting people outside St. Elizabeths, noting of his group therapy sessions: "It's really refreshing to be in a group with people who aren't completely out of their minds."

Prosecutors cited what they called a history of deceptive behavior in arguing against more freedom for Hinckley. In July 2011, prosecutors said, Hinckley was supposed to go see a movie and instead went to a bookstore, where Secret Service agents saw him looking at shelves that contained books about Reagan and the assassination attempt, though he didn't pick any of them up.

Some of the conditions of Hinckley's leave could be eliminated or reduced within 12 to 18 months, but he still could be taken back to the hospital if he violates the remaining conditions.

Reagan died in 2004 at age 93.

___

Associated Press writers Sarah Brumfield and Jessica Gresko in Washington; Ben Finley in Williamsburg, Virginia; and Alanna Durkin Richer in Richmond, Virginia, contributed to his report.

aplogo.jpg
-- (c) Associated Press 2016-07-28

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well there is no risk of him repeating the crime.

You do not hear of many of these folks actually being releases. This is fairly unique the news I think.

Then it's long past the time to free Sirhan Sirhan, too!!!

Thank you! They say every day is a school day! Today was. I had to google that and found out something I never knew. Yes you are correct!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The man is going to be a millioner within a few months, with TV interviews, book deals, and maybe

a movie or two, a conditions of his release should that he should be profiting from his crimes, or that

all proceeds from his media will be gone toward better causes....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well there is no risk of him repeating the crime.

You do not hear of many of these folks actually being releases. This is fairly unique the news I think.

Then it's long past the time to free Sirhan Sirhan, too!!!

Sirhan Sirhan actually killed someone. He is in for LIFE.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well there is no risk of him repeating the crime.

You do not hear of many of these folks actually being releases. This is fairly unique the news I think.

Then it's long past the time to free Sirhan Sirhan, too!!!

Sirhan Sirhan actually killed someone. He is in for LIFE.

Hinckley killed James Brady. It was a slow death.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sirhan Sirhan actually killed someone. He is in for LIFE.

"Brady died on August 4, 2014, 33 years after the shooting. His death was ruled a homicide, caused by the gunshot wound he received in 1981" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Brady

I am guessing that living 32 years after being shot gets Hinckley off the hook for doing further time. Edited by Ulysses G.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The difference between Sirhan Sirhan and Hinkley is that Hinkley was was not convicted of a crime. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity which I believe is very rare. Sirhan Sirhan was convicted. Found guilty.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well there is no risk of him repeating the crime.

You do not hear of many of these folks actually being releases. This is fairly unique the news I think.

Then it's long past the time to free Sirhan Sirhan, too!!!

and the Manson Family members too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The difference between Sirhan Sirhan and Hinkley is that Hinkley was was not convicted of a crime. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity which I believe is very rare. Sirhan Sirhan was convicted. Found guilty.

The bigger difference is that Hinckley apparently comes from money, who were able to fund an aggressive legal effort to get him an insanity plea, and eventually to get him released.

I hope that any proceeds he may receive from his notoriety (books, movies, interviews, etc) go directly to his victims' families.

Edited by impulse
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The article didn't mention that Hinkley Sr. and Bush Sr. were both friends and both with interests in the oil racket.

Sssssshhhhh.... We're not supposed to know that.

The two families would have cookouts, birthday parties etc together, lived on the same block back in the 1950s. All the Bushes know all the members of Hinkley's family, and vice versa, all their kids grew up together. Pretty strange the kid trying to kill the pres while his 'Uncle George' was VP, don'tcha think?

If he does write a book it'll have stuff in it like what kind of person W was, and other gossip.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well there is no risk of him repeating the crime.

You do not hear of many of these folks actually being releases. This is fairly unique the news I think.

Then it's long past the time to free Sirhan Sirhan, too!!!

Well, there is a bit of a difference between Sirhan and Hinckley.

Sirhan actually killed someone—RFK—he recorded and signed a confession, was found GUILTY, and was sentenced to life in prison. Since then Sirhan has recanted his confession and claims amnesia, which is still under debate by doctors—and whether or not it is a valid reason, he is Muslim. So, there are more political issues with his incarceration and subsequent denial of parole.

Hinckley he did not kill anyone—although he permanently handicapped Brady—he had a history of psychiatric problems before the attempted to assassinate Reagan and he was adjudicated NOT GUILTY due to insanity, and was sentenced to observation in a mental hospital. Hinckley’s mental issues have been diagnosed in remission and he has been allowed to stay under observation at his mother’s house for about half the time for the last decade or so.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The man is going to be a millioner within a few months, with TV interviews, book deals, and maybe

a movie or two, a conditions of his release should that he should be profiting from his crimes, or that

all proceeds from his media will be gone toward better causes....

See the relevant portion of the AP article above:

He must attend individual and group therapy sessions and is barred from talking to the media.

I'd assume that would cover the notion of book deals or any other kinds of promotional stuff.

The AP article says he's had trouble finding work at places like Subway and Starbucks -- not surprisingly.

So I think you're "millionaire" guesstimate is a bit misplaced.

As for the OP itself, I think the U.S. authorities should have held onto this guy, and not let him go free.

He tried to kill a president, and succeeded unintentionally in (belatedly) killing his press secretary. Even though he's been in a mental facility all the years since, somehow, I don't believe that kind of conduct should ever see him walking free again.

Edited by TallGuyJohninBKK
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If I was Jodie Foster I think I would be the most worried. But then now the world knows she is Lesbian, maybe Hinckley doesn't have such high hopes for her anymore. Although I hear that a Sex Change Operation in Thailand doesn't cost that much.

They did let Squeaky Fromme out who attempted to assassination on President Ford, so why not for Reagan to? That should be the last of the assassins attempts on Presidents as I don't recall another President after that which anyone tried. Although for a time and early on there was even money on that someone would try for Oboma.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well there is no risk of him repeating the crime.

You do not hear of many of these folks actually being releases. This is fairly unique the news I think.

Then it's long past the time to free Sirhan Sirhan, too!!!

Well, there is a bit of a difference between Sirhan and Hinckley.

Sirhan actually killed someone—RFK—he recorded and signed a confession, was found GUILTY, and was sentenced to life in prison. Since then Sirhan has recanted his confession and claims amnesia, which is still under debate by doctors—and whether or not it is a valid reason, he is Muslim. So, there are more political issues with his incarceration and subsequent denial of parole.

Hinckley he did not kill anyone—although he permanently handicapped Brady—he had a history of psychiatric problems before the attempted to assassinate Reagan and he was adjudicated NOT GUILTY due to insanity, and was sentenced to observation in a mental hospital. Hinckley’s mental issues have been diagnosed in remission and he has been allowed to stay under observation at his mother’s house for about half the time for the last decade or so.

Well actually Hinckley did kill some one.

It took 33 years to do it but Brady's Death was ruled as a Homicide caused by Hinckley's Bullet. But he was never charged with this as he was already ruled "Insane".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well there is no risk of him repeating the crime.

You do not hear of many of these folks actually being releases. This is fairly unique the news I think.

Then it's long past the time to free Sirhan Sirhan, too!!!

Well, there is a bit of a difference between Sirhan and Hinckley.

Sirhan actually killed someone—RFK—he recorded and signed a confession, was found GUILTY, and was sentenced to life in prison. Since then Sirhan has recanted his confession and claims amnesia, which is still under debate by doctors—and whether or not it is a valid reason, he is Muslim. So, there are more political issues with his incarceration and subsequent denial of parole.

Hinckley he did not kill anyone—although he permanently handicapped Brady—he had a history of psychiatric problems before the attempted to assassinate Reagan and he was adjudicated NOT GUILTY due to insanity, and was sentenced to observation in a mental hospital. Hinckley’s mental issues have been diagnosed in remission and he has been allowed to stay under observation at his mother’s house for about half the time for the last decade or so.

Well actually Hinckley did kill some one.

It took 33 years to do it but Brady's Death was ruled as a Homicide caused by Hinckley's Bullet. But he was never charged with this as he was already ruled "Insane".

Yes, double jeopardy plays a role in this, but the prosecutors who have been trying to quash Hinckley's release and his house arrest have decided they would not attempt to prosecute him because of the difficulty in proving beyond a reasonable doubt that the medical examiner's decision was correct.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.








  • Topics

  • Latest posts...

    1. 2,400

      Thai gov. to tax (remitted) income from abroad for tax residents starting 2024 - Part II

    2. 17

      Thailand Live Sunday 6 October 2024

    3. 0

      Drunk Crashes Into Motorcycle, Killing Two 14-Year-Old Girls in Tragic Wrong-Way Collision

    4. 17

      Thailand Live Sunday 6 October 2024

    5. 0

      Flash Flooding in Tak Province: DDPM Constructing Temporary Bridge

    6. 98

      Cannabis-Intoxicated British Man Arrested for Trespassing and Overstay

    7. 8

      The Unforeseen Reach of COVID-19: How Lockdowns Impacted the Moon's Surface

    8. 17

      Thailand Live Sunday 6 October 2024

    9. 0

      Boeing Successfully Completes First Flight of Thailand’s First AH-6 Little Bird Helicopter

    10. 90

      No wonder people like to shop at Lazada.

    11. 53

      Bangkok Will Not Flood, PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra Assures

    12. 24

      Chiang Mai on High Alert as Ping River Surges Beyond 5.25 Metres

    13. 112

      Thailand's Cashless Leap: Ahead of the Asean Pack by 2028

    14. 53

      Bangkok Will Not Flood, PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra Assures

×
×
  • Create New...