Breaking: James Brady's death ruled a homicide 33 years after shooting

[NightWatcher]

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Jim-Brady-Death-Was-a-Homicide-DC-Medical-Examiner-Rules-270522411.html

The death of James Brady -- President Ronald Reagan's press secretary who was wounded in the attempt on Reagan's life in March 1981 -- was a homicide, the medical examiner for the Northern District of Virginia ruled Friday.

The medical examiner said Brady died as a result of the grievous injuries he suffered 33 years ago, which means that gunman John Hinckley Jr. could be charged with Brady's murder.

I've never heard of a 33 year span between the event and an eventual homicide resulting from said event. Not advocating a position, just putting the news out there.

[Sheldon Cooper]

1. Wow.

Didn't see that coming. I'd be very surprised if they prosecuted Hinckley.

[TheNutcracker]

27. That's how it is. My vet friend just died, at 67 from homicide. bullet paralyzed him in VietNam.

When you finally die from it...it's always listed as homicide. Shocking when I first saw it. But it makes sense now. A bullet got him, and it was one thing after another. gallbladder, kidney, etc. Finally he passed at 67. His cause of death on certificate says "homicide". It was that first and final bullet that caused all the maladies until it finally did him in.

[Rex]

2. Is there a certain number of years that can pass to where someone cannot be charged with a crime?

What say you DU lawyers?

[Revanchist]

4. There is no statute of limitation on murder N/T.

[Rex]

7. Thank you. nt.

nt.

[TheNutcracker]

28. Well it's seven years in FLA..i thought that was a federal law. Seven years.

[Revanchist]

29. Do you have a link for that?

Because a quick google search says that there is no statute on a life or capital felony.

http://www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/criminal-case-statute-of-limitations/FL-felonies-misdemeanors.htm

[NightWatcher]

5. There's no statute of limitations on murder

I thought that was if you killed a guy on Monday and went into hiding for 70 years you could still be charged with murder after they captured you. I have heard of murder charges coming a few weeks to months after an attack led to death, but nothing like 33 years.

[Rex]

10. Same here, 33 years is a long time.

nt.

[unblock]

18. i don't think you need to be there for them to indict you.

so i don't think you can hide to avoid any applicable statute of limitations.

if they don't indict you, though, then yeah, that could work (although not in this case if there is no statute of limitations for murder in that jurisdiction).

[NightWatcher]

20. Hiding was a bad example. Lets say it wasn't solved for a number of years instead

[unblock]

24. that would work. if there's a statute of limitations.

[unblock]

14. i don't think that would apply if the crime took 33 years to play out.

[msanthrope]

31. Not on murder. nt

[JI7]

3. i would probably support this, brady's entire life was changed forever

[bettyellen]

6. my Mom was Brady's Nanny many years ago!

When he was shot, she exclaimed "Oh poor little Jimmy!", and I said , because sh'd never mentioned it, or him, before.

[JI7]

19. did she ever get in contact with him again ?

i will always admire him for his work to get gun control .

[bettyellen]

30. Oh gosh no, that was not "her place", and Mom would never dare. She was a poor immigrant, and a

live in servant for quite a few wealthy families when she first came here. She did say he was a very nice boy though!

[BootinUp]

8. No question that severe brain injuries shorten life span. nt

[eShirl]

9. It is what it is. n/t

[Loudly]

11. I don't see how there can be any criminal culpability.

Hinckley was tried and found not guilty by reason of insanity.

[JCMach1]

13. I doubt he was tried for 1st degree murder on Brady though...

It gives prosecutors some options...

[MohRokTah]

16. Yep. eom

[Loudly]

25. That's true, because Brady didn't die.

But it seems like blatant double jeopardy to try him again for acts he has already been adjudged not responsible for committing.

I do understand a ruling of homicide by the ME, though.

[msanthrope]

32. He wasn't tried for the murder. nt

[JCMach1]

38. precisely

[aikoaiko]

12. I wonder if insurance pays differently.

[tammywammy]

17. I wouldn't think after the incident he could get a full life insurance policy.

Since he had such a preexisting condition.

[aikoaiko]

23. He might have been well insured before the shooting and kept up with it.

Just thinking out loud. I'm no expert

[madinmaryland]

37. Too bad, the Brady family was not able to sue the gun manufacturer. nt

[MohRokTah]

15. That means Hinckley can be prosecuted for his death. eom

[unblock]

21. presumably it would result in the same insanity outcome.

i'm not sure that the feds gain anything by pursuing this in terms of what they can do to hinkley.
i think it would be all just a big gesture toward a widely-admired washington figure.

[MohRokTah]

22. Maybe not, but it would be a long shot.

It would require an extremely zealous prosecutor to bring it before the bar.

[Loudly]

26. I assume it would be a state prosecutor making the decision.

Federal jurisdiction probably ended when Brady ceased to be an employee.

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1114

[msanthrope]

33. No--it would be a federal prosecutor, since the underlying act took place while he

was a federal employee.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

34. They could prosecute him if they wanted to.

No statute of limitations on murder.

[jwirr]

35. I do not understand what the OP means but I remember a song abour the soldiers who died of

Agent Orange that talked about them being killed when they were infected in Vietnam. Yet they lived for some time after the war. It was a folk song and a war protest.

Possibly the person who is using the term regarding the death of James Brady means that he was wounded and died of those wounds many years later. Like the song.

[Saphire]

36. michael skakel was charged in 2002 for a 1975

murder. It can happen.