John Hinckley Jr.’s lawyer has told a court his client should be permanently released from his mental health facility.
John Hinckley Jr. shot President Ronald Reagan, who survived, and three others outside the Hilton Hotel in Washington in 1981.
He was found not guilty by reason of insanity but was sent for treatment to a Washington hospital.
Currently, John Hinckley Jr. spends 17 days per month at his mother’s home in the nearby state of Virginia.
John Hinckley’s lawyer, Barry Levine, told a federal court on April 22 that the would-be assassin is “clinically ready” to leave St Elizabeth’s Hospital permanently because he has been in “full and stable remission” for more than two decades.
The lawyer is asking a judge to grant his client “convalescent leave”, which would allow him to live outside the hospital with regular visits to mental health professionals.
Prosecutor Colleen Kennedy disagreed and said more restrictions and conditions are necessary to keep John Hinckley Jr. and others safe.
His mother is 89 years old and lives near Williamsburg, Virginia.
While living with her, John Hinckley is allowed to live a normal life that includes unsupervised shopping and dining out, and occasional contact with the US Secret Service.
Ronald Reagan was just 69 days into his presidency when the attempt was made on his life.
The former president suffered a punctured lung, but survived after being rushed to a nearby hospital.
Three others were wounded, including White House aide James Brady who was shot in the head and suffered brain damage and partial paralysis.
A Secret Service agent and a police officer suffered lesser wounds.
A gun control law passed in 1993 was nicknamed The Brady Bill and the White House press briefing room bears James Brady’s name. He died in August of last year at the age of 73.
John Hinckley Jr., the man who shot White House aide James Brady in a 1981 assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan, will not face new murder charges, federal prosecutors say.
A medical examiner had ruled James Brady’s death in August a homicide as he died of injuries related to the shooting.
Prosecutors say they cannot charge John Hinckley Jr. as he had already been found not guilty by reason of insanity.
John Hinckley, 59, has been confined to a psychiatric hospital since the verdict.
James Brady, who had suffered brain damage and partial paralysis, died in August at the age of 73.
Police said “an autopsy was conducted and revealed the cause of death to be a gunshot wound and consequences thereof, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide”.
On January 2, the prosecutors said the original verdict ruled out new charges.
They added that Washington DC courts ruled at the time that a homicide prosecution could only be brought if a victim died within “a year and a day” of the attack.
“In summary, any further prosecution of Hinckley premised on his March 1981 shooting of Mr. Brady would be precluded,” the US attorney’s office said.
Barry Levine, John Hinckley’s lawyer, said he was not surprised at the latest decision, adding: “Mr. Hinckley is haunted by the tragedy that his conduct, more than 30 years ago, created.”
A lifelong Republican, James Brady had served in the Nixon and Ford administrations and as a Senate aide before joining Ronald Reagan’s 1980 presidential campaign.
On March 30, 1981, John Hinckley opened fire on the president’s party outside the Washington DC Hilton Hotel, striking four people, including James Brady and Ronald Reagan.
James Brady was shot in the head and was the most seriously wounded. Ronald Reagan was shot in one lung. A Secret Service agent and a police officer suffered lesser wounds.
Photos and video of the incident show the wounded press secretary sprawled on the ground as Secret Service agents rushed the president into his vehicle and others wrestled John Hinckley to the ground.
Since the trial John Hinckley has been committed to a Washington DC psychiatric hospital, but has been allowed to spend limited time at his mother’s home.
James Brady, who served in three Republican administrations, became an advocate for stricter gun control.
He lobbied for legislation to require background checks for handgun sales.
The so-called Brady Bill was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1993.
James Brady’s death has been ruled a homicide, 33 years after he was wounded in an assassination attempt, police in Washington have said.
The former White House press secretary was shot in the 1981 attempt on President Ronald Reagan’s life by John Hinckley Jr.
James Brady suffered brain damage and partial paralysis and died this week at 73.
John Hinckley Jr. has been confined to a psychiatric hospital since he was found not guilty by reason of insanity.
James Brady died on August 4 at the age of 73.
James Brady’s death has been ruled a homicide, 33 years after he was wounded in an assassination attempt
A lifelong Republican, James Brady had served in the Nixon and Ford administrations and as a Senate aide before joining Ronald Reagan’s 1980 presidential campaign.
On March 30, 1981, John Hinckley Jr. opened fire on Ronald Reagan’s party outside the Washington Hilton Hotel, striking four people, including James Brady and President Reagan.
James Brady was shot in the head and was the most seriously wounded. Ronald Reagan was shot in one lung. A Secret Service agent and a police officer suffered lesser wounds.
Photos and video of the incident show the wounded press secretary sprawled on the ground as Secret Service agents rushed the president into his vehicle and others wrestled John Hinckley Jr. to the ground.
The former press secretary suffered brain damage, partial paralysis, short-term memory impairment and slurred speech.
John Hinckley Jr. was tried and found not guilty due to insanity. Since the trial he has been committed to a Washington DC psychiatric hospital, but has been allowed to spend limited time at his mother’s home.
James Brady, who served in three Republican administrations, became an advocate for stricter gun control.
He lobbied for legislation to require background checks for handgun sales. The so-called Brady Bill was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1993.
Former White House press secretary James Brady has died at 73.
James Brady was shot in the head in a 1981 attempt on President Ronald Reagan’s life.
His family said James Brady, who was left wheelchair-bound in the shooting, died after an undisclosed illness.
James Brady, who served in three Republican administrations, became an advocate for stricter gun control.
He lobbied for a law signed in 1993 that bore his name and required background checks for handgun sales.
In 2000, Democratic President Bill Clinton renamed the White House press briefing room in his honor.
James Brady was shot in the head in a 1981 attempt on President Ronald Reagan’s life
President Barack Obama described James Brady as a “legend” at the White House and praised his warmth and professionalism and “the strength he brought to bear in recovering from the shooting that nearly killed him”.
“Since 1993, the law that bears Jim’s name has kept guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals,” he said.
“An untold number of people are alive today who otherwise wouldn’t be, thanks to Jim.”
James Brady, a lifelong Republican, served in the Nixon and Ford administrations and as a Senate aide before joining Ronald Reagan’s 1980 presidential campaign.
On March 30, 1981, John Hinckley Jr. opened fire on the president’s party outside a Washington hotel, striking four people, including James Brady and Ronald Reagan.
James Brady was the most seriously wounded. Ronald Reagan was shot in one lung. Two law enforcement officers suffered lesser wounds.
Photos and video of the incident show a wounded James Brady sprawled on the ground as Secret Service agents rushed Ronald Reagan into his vehicle and others wrestled John Hinckley Jr. to the ground.
The former press secretary suffered brain damage, partial paralysis, short-term memory impairment and slurred speech.
John Hinckley Jr. was tried and found not guilty due to insanity. Since the trial he has been committed to a Washington DC psychiatric hospital, but has been allowed to spend limited time at his mother’s home.
Ronald Reagan Foundation has expressed outrage after a vial said to contain the former US president’s blood was put on sale in an online auction.
British-based PFC Auctions says the blood sample was taken from Ronald Reagan after the failed 1981 assassination attempt against him.
The PFC website put the latest bid for the vial at £6,270 ($9,910) on Tuesday.
John Heubusch, executive director of the foundation, said that, if true, it would fight to stop “this craven act”.
“If indeed this story is true, it’s a craven act and we will use every legal means to stop its sale or purchase,” he said.
British-based PFC Auctions says the blood sample was taken from Ronald Reagan after the failed 1981 assassination attempt against him
John Heubusch said the hospital where Ronald Reagan had been treated had assured the foundation that an inquiry was under way into “how something like this could possibly happen”.
PFC Auctions, based on Guernsey in the British Channel Islands, displayed a picture of the vial on its website bearing a label showing the president’s name.
The lot includes a letter of provenance from the seller who says their late mother worked at the laboratory which carried out blood testing for George Washington University Hospital after Mr Reagan was shot.
“These articles have actually been in my family’s possession since… the day that President Reagan was shot in Washington DC,” the letter reads.
Ronald Reagan suffered a punctured lung and internal bleeding when he was shot by John Hinckley Jr. outside the Washington Hilton Hotel.
John Hinckley Jr. was later found not guilty by reason of insanity and is being treated at a psychiatric hospital.
Ronald Reagan, who went on to serve two terms as president, died at the age of 93 in 2004.
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