Proving that there’s no rhyme-or-reason to the U.S. criminal justice systems, would-be assassin of former President Ronald Reagan 61-year-old John Hinckley Jr. walked out of his mental hospital a free man today. Expected to live with in 90-year-old mother in Williamsburg, Virginia, Hinckley completed 34 years custody. Ordered by U.S. District Judge Paul L. Friedman July 27 to be released from St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Washington, D.C., the system shows its own insanity, releasing an attempted presidential assassin. Hinckley shot Reagan in the lung and his Press Secretary James Brady in the head March 30, 1981. Because Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity June 21, 1982 in U.S. District Court, he was remanded to St. Elizabeth’s Mental Hospital. Releasing Hinckley today shows how the “insanity defense” created an abortion of justice.
Claiming that Hinckley was no longer a danger to society is preposterous when you consider he carefully planned to assassinate a U.S. president. Brady never recovered from his brain injuries, eventually dying from complications Aug. 4, 2014. Regardless of Hinckley’s mental state at the time of the assassination, he didn’t meet the legal definition of insanity, despite suffering from “depression” and “psychosis.” At the time of Hinckley’s trial, his defense attorneys convinced a federal judge that he was obsessed with the 1976 Martin Scorsese film Taxi Driver where he identified with the main character, Travis Bickle played by Robert De Niro, who tried to assassinate a U.S. Senator to win the affection of a love interest played by Cybil Shepherd. Whatever Hinckley’s motivations, they should play no part in mandatory sentencing for would-be presidential assassins.
No defendant, mentally ill or not, should get paroled from a prison or mental hospital when they’ve attempted to assassinate a U.S. president. U.S. District Court Judge Paul Friedman should have his head examined, figuring out the logic behind his decision to release Hinckley. Mental health experts have great difficulty predicting violent behavior, regardless of diagnoses. When Hinckley, as a 25-year-old college drop out, bought a 22-caliber Rohm RG pistol from a Dallas pawn shop, loaded it with exploding bullets, tracked down Reagan an outside exit of the Washington Hilton Hotel, waited until Reagan exited the Hotel, opening fire at a range of about 15 feet. All the planning involved in the assassination attempt showed the malice aforethought or planning involved in First Degree Murder. With all that planning, no responsible judge or jury could find Hinckley not guilty.
U.S. Attorney Gen. Loretta Lynch should appeal Friedman’s decision to release Hinckley from his mental hospital. Whatever Hinckley’s mental state at the time of the assassination attempt or today’s release should have no bearing on his sentence. Attempted assassinations of U.S. presidents should carry either a life sentence or death penalty, whatever’s appropriate. Mental Health experts don’t have a enough predictive power when it comes to violence to stop future episodes, regardless of good behavior in mental hospitals or prisons. Once President John Kennedy was assassinated Nov. 22, 1963 in Dallas, whether by lone gunman Lee Harvey Oswald or unknown conspiracy, additional penalties were added to attempted presidential assassinations, making parole impossible. Hinckley’s parole makes a mockery of life-sentencing for would be presidential assassins.
Whether or not expert testimony found Hinckley no longer a danger to society should have no bearing on his release from a mental hospital or prison. Hinckley’s 90-year-old mother is not adequate supervision for someone under continued psychiatric care, especially managing “depression” or “psychosis.” If Hinckley’s conditions of release require psychiatric care, it means mental health experts found him in need of more treatment. Insisting he’s no longer a danger to society assumes that he’ll get adequate psychiatric supervision to prevent a regression. Once someone suffers from the kind of mental illness resulting in a presidential assassination attempt, there’s no way to assure another bout of that erratic behavior. Apart from rehab considerations, no would be presidential assassin should ever see the light of day, regardless of the opinions of mental health experts.
Releasing Hinckley from psychiatric custody is an outrage, requiring the Justice Department to file for a new review. Judge Freidman overstepped his boundaries releasing 61-year-old attempted assassin John Hinckley Jr. from his mental hospital. Whatever the merits of the insanity defense or criminal justice system, it’s clear that presidential assassins require life-sentences. Hinckley’s ongoing need for psychiatric supervision tells the real story of why Friedman should have never released him from St. Elizabeth’s Hospital. While the Brady Bill tried to fashion common sense gun control legislation, it still didn’t succeed in keeping firearms from mentally ill gun owners. Hinckley’s complex actions lead to the assassination attempt on Reagan in March 30, 1981 clearly show he didn’t meet the legal definition of “insanity,” requiring legal action to return Hinckley to St. Elizabeth Hospital.
