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John Hinckley

Praised by shrinks, Hinckley seeks more freedom

William M. Welch
USA TODAY

John Hinckley Jr. arrives at U.S. District Court in Washington on Nov. 18, 2003

John Hinckley, the man who shot President Reagan 34 years ago and has been lauded by psychiatrists for a steady road back to stability, is seeking more freedom.

Hinckley, almost 60 years old now, spends more than half his days with his 89-year-old mother at her home on a Virginia golf course. The other half he spends at a mental hospital in Washington.

His lawyers and hospital officials are asking that Hinckley be granted more privileges -- "convalescent leave," meaning he would live full time on the outside but still meeting regularly with a psychiatrist and therapists. He has been in "full and stable remission'' for more than two decades, his lawyer Barry Levine argued in federal court Wednesday.

Levine says that Hinckley, found not guilty by reason of insanity for his 1981 assassination attempt on Reagan, is "clinically ready" to resume living full time outside St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, where he has been treated for more than three decades.

Federal prosecutors opposed the request. Prosecutor Colleen Kennedy argued that safety concerns require more restrictions on Hinckley. The government has opposed previous moves to gain more freedom for Hinckley, who has been allowed to spend time outside the institution for more than a decade.

"Mr. Hinckley has not shown himself ready to conduct the hard work of transitioning to a new city," prosecutor Sarah Chasson said at a similar hearing in 2011. Prosecutors pointed to a 1987 journal entry in which Hinckley wrote that his psychiatrists would "never know the true John Hinckley."

Hinckley was 25 when Reagan was seriously wounded and the president's press secretary, James Brady, suffered a grave bullet wound to the head. Hinckley is 59 now and turns 60 in late May.

The home of John Hinckley's mother, Joann, in the Kingsmill resort at Williamsburg, Va., is shown in this recent photo. Hinckley, found  not guilty by reason of insanity in the 1981 attempt on President Reagan's life, spends about half of each month here and remaining time at a mental hospital in Washington, D.C.

The would-be assassin is allowed to spend 17 days a month at the home of his mother, who lives at the Kingsmill golf resort at Williamsburg, Va. On those home visits he is allowed to go outside, to restaurants and stores, and often moves largely unnoticed though often under the watch of Secret Service agents. He is not allowed to be near the president or members of Congress.

Hinckley has a girlfriend he met at a National Association for the Mentally Ill meeting, his brother Scott Hinckley testified at the hearing, NBC News reported. Scott Hinckley described the woman as "somewhat compatible" but said he had never met her. He said their mother, Joann Hinckley, had met her. Hinckley's sister Diane later described her as more of a platonic friend.

Levine argued that allowing Hinckley to live with his mother will enable him to demonstrate he is no longer a threat. He would still meet regularly with a psychiatrist and therapists, his attorney argued.

Under his current restrictions, Hinckley is able to drive a car but is limited to going to places where he is expected. He is not allowed to talk to the media. He is allowed daily walks and unsupervised outings of up to four hours. He is required to carry a GPS-enabled cellphone so his movements can be tracked.

Contributing: Associated Press

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