John Hinckley Jr. freed from court oversight after decades

[SouthBayDem]

Source: Associated Press

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — John Hinckley Jr., who shot and wounded President Ronald Reagan in 1981, was freed from court oversight Wednesday, officially concluding decades of supervision by legal and mental health professionals.

“After 41 years 2 months and 15 days, FREEDOM AT LAST!!!,” he wrote on Twitter shortly after 12 p.m.

The lifting of all restrictions had been expected since late September. U.S. District Court Judge Paul L. Friedman in Washington said he’d free Hinckley on June 15 if he continued to remain mentally stable in the community in Virginia where he has lived since 2016.

Hinckley, who was acquitted by reason of insanity, spent the decades before that in a Washington mental hospital.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/john-hinckley-jr-freed-9db1af865b01dc956cb33291438392dc

[Joinfortmill]

1. Hope this wasn't a mistake.

[Javaman]

2. I feel sorry for James Brady.

I'll leave it at that.

[maxsolomon]

3. He's essentially been free for 6 years already.

This is a pretty safe move - but not guaranteed. Nothing is guaranteed.

[oldsoftie]

4. Horrible precedent.

[Martin68]

5. This is not "a precedent." It is the sequence of events required by law in cases where a person is

committed for institutional psychiatric care after a serious crime. A carefully calibrated and carefully supervised steps were taken over many years before he was released.

According to Wikipedia, "In 1999, Hinckley was permitted to leave the hospital for supervised visits with his parents...On June 17, 2009, Judge Friedman ruled that Hinckley would be permitted to visit his mother for a dozen visits of 10 days at a time, rather than six, to spend more time outside of the hospital, and to have a driver's license. The court also ordered that Hinckley be required to carry a GPS-enabled cell phone to track him whenever he was outside of his parents' home. On July 27, 2016, a federal judge ruled that Hinckley could be released from St. Elizabeths on August 5, as he was no longer considered a threat to himself or others. Hinckley was released from institutional psychiatric care on September 10, 2016, with many conditions. He was required to live full-time at his mother's home in Williamsburg. In addition, the following prohibitions and requirements were imposed on him.

[oldsoftie]

6. Well, no other attempted assassin has ever been released. Explain it however you want.

Some crimes you shouldn't get the free pass.
Now watch him make money off his notoriety. Because of the OTHER crazies out there who will look up to him. Won't take long; bank on it.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

7. Lynette Fromme was.

[oldsoftie]

10. Yep. Forgot about her. I guess because she missed.

Should've kept her too. She got life.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

11. Mehmet Ali Agca was, too, for that matter.

[Martin68]

13. Many people convicted of murder are released before their full life sentence. The American system of

Justice is based on the possibility of therapy, education, and redemption. Unless you are a right wing voter.

[Aristus]

15. Agca was in the custody of the justice system of Catholic Italy.

If the Pope forgives you, I guess they have to let you go.

[Mr.Bill]

8. Hell, in the right district he could register republican

and get elected to Congress by calling Reagan a socialist.

He's probably more sane than anyonone of a dozen republicans in Congress now.

[oldsoftie]

9. That probably what he'd be called today too!

Certainly Trump would say he was a RINO; "a terrible actor & a worse Governor' etc

[Martin68]

12. I'm afraid you don't know much about criminal law. The median time murderers spent in state prisons

as of 2018 was 17.5 years. Hinckley spent 41 years in custody. You seem to know little about the law and about mental illness, which can be treated.

https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/tssp18.pdf

[hadEnuf]

14. I hope the NRA and the Republicans don't allow him to buy a gun.

[imavoter]

16. This is dumb, but

he's not under watch now.
Who's to make him keep up w/ his meds?
I never thought this was a good idea
to let him out in the first place.
His family has money, and I'm assuming he's
had good lawyers.

You think the Secret Service will watch him?
I doubt that actress Foster is thrilled.