Former President Reagan's Assassin Set Free After 35 Years - Judge Orders Hinckley to Abide With Terms of Release
Mental Asylum Doctors Suggest Hinckley in Full Remission, No Longer a Threat to Himself and Others
After 35 years of living in a mental asylum, John Hinckley Jr., the man known for shooting and seriously wounding former president Ronald Reagan on March 30, 1981, has finally won his freedom.
A federal judge in Washington D.C. has approved a request for Hinckley to be released from Saint Elizabeths Hospital to stay full-time with his mother who lives in Williamsburg, VA. He is set to be released next week but there are terms that he needs to follow.
Hinckley's release terms
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Hinckley will be released early next week and is expected not to contact his victims and their families. He is not to contact Jodie Foster, an actress that he is very obsessed with. He will not be allowed to "knowingly travel" to places where the current president or the members of the Congress are present.
Senior U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman also ordered: "Mr. Hinckley shall abide by all laws, shall not consume alcohol, illegal drugs… shall not possess any firearm, weapon, or ammunition and shall not be arrested for cause." He will be allowed to live on his own or to reside in a group home after one year has passed after his release.
A look at the past
Hinckley shot President Reagan six times and his press secretary, James Brady, was shot in the head. Reagan stayed in the hospital for two weeks as he recovered from severe wounds and blood loss. Brady survived but spent the next two decades in a wheelchair. The court found Hinckley not guilty by reason of insanity.
Patti Davis, President Reagan's daughter said in an interview last year that the verdict by reason of insanity was a bad call. She claimed that the assassin knew right from the start what he was doing and that attempting to kill the president is not an ordinary crime at all.
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute mentioned in a statement that, "Contrary to the judge's decision, we believe John Hinckley is still a threat to others and we strongly opposed his release."
Hinckley fully recovered according to doctors
Doctors from Saint Elizabeths Hospital say that Hinckley is no longer a threat to himself and to others. They said that his depression and psychosis are in full remission. Court descriptions of Hinckley by his lawyer said that he is a man "who plays guitar, goes to movies and browses in bookstores."
Before he was ordered to be released, Hinckley has already enjoyed the privilege of spending 17 days in a month with his mother who lies at the Kingsmill resort community. He is now 61 years of age and is already suffering from arthritis, hypertension and other physical ailments of men of his age.
