John Hinckley won’t face murder charge in death of James Brady, prosecutors say

[alp227]

Source: Washington Post

Federal prosecutors said they will not charge John W. Hinckley Jr. with murder in the shooting of President Ronald Reagan’s press secretary in a 1981 assassination attempt, even though a medical examiner concluded that James S. Brady’s death in August was caused by the old wounds.

The decision, announced Friday by the U.S. attorney for the District, comes four months after a medical examiner decided that Brady’s death at the age of 73 was a direct result of a bullet fired 34 years ago outside the Washington Hilton on Connecticut Avenue in Northwest.

In a statement, prosecutors said their decision was based on “a review of applicable law, the history of the case, and the circumstances of Mr. Brady’s death.” Hinckley, now 59, was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the shooting of Reagan, Brady and two others and has spent the past three decades at St. Elizabeths psychiatric hospital in Southeast Washington.

Hinckley’s attorney, Barry Wm. Levine, said “any idea that this was a prosecutable case was ridiculous. There were so many legal obstacles to prosecuting this case, just countless.” He said that had authorities filed new charges, he believes the case “would be barred as a matter of law.”

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/prosecutors-will-not-charge-hinckley-with-murder-in-death-of-james-brady/2015/01/02/67de0024-929a-11e4-a900-9960214d4cd7_story.html

[Live and Learn]

1. Good. nt

[Kalidurga]

2. He is never going to get out of St. Elizabeth's

so it's rather a moot point. A trial would serve for nothing more than to have more circus tv.

[stevenleser]

3. I agree about not charging him, but he is out quite often

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/prosecutors-will-not-charge-hinckley-with-murder-in-death-of-james-brady/2015/01/02/67de0024-929a-11e4-a900-9960214d4cd7_story.html

[NewDeal_Dem]

4. he already spends half of every month at his family's home.

A federal judge on Friday gave President Ronald Reagan’s would-be assassin modestly more freedom, allowing the 58-year-old who has lived and received mental health treatment for more than three decades at St. Elizabeths Hospital to spend 17 days a month visiting his mother’s home town of Williamsburg, Va.

John W. Hinckley Jr., who was found not guilty by reason of insanity in Reagan’s shooting, must prove to U.S. District Judge Paul L. Friedman that he can better integrate himself and socialize in Williamsburg before his release will go any further. But in a 106-page opinion expanding Hinckley’s monthly Virginia visits from 10 to 17 days, Friedman said he was persuaded that Hinckley “will not be a danger to himself or to others” if he is given more time away from the hospital.

The opinion in resolves the latest round of legal wrangling over what to do with Hinckley, although it does not bring the case to a close. Hinckley’s doctors and therapists had asked Friedman to gradually expand the length of Hinckley’s trips from the District to his mother’s home in Williamsburg to up to 24 days and eventually allow him to reside there full time.

Friedman’s order allows Hinckley to drive alone to specific destinations — which Levine said will help him live normally in Williamsburg — but requires him to carry a GPS-enabled cellphone during unsupervised activities. Friedman wrote that court and mental health officials would evaluate Hinckley’s progress after eight 17-day visits.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/federal-judge-grants-more-freedom-to-reagans-would-be-assassin/2013/12/20/efdd2c60-68e9-11e3-8b5b-a77187b716a3_story.html

If I recall right, it was years ago I started hearing about hinkley getting release time outside the asylum.

[ColesCountyDem]

5. The prosecutors never intended to charge Hinckley.

The prosecutors knew that, under federal law, they would be collaterally estopped from re-litigating the issue of Hinckley's mental status. If Hinckley lacked the requisite mens rea to be found guilty in 1981 assassination attempt, as thew court decided he did, they could not revisit the issue in any subsequent homicide prosecution.

[watoos]

6. How many people are aware

about the close ties of the Hinckleys and the Bush family?
The brother of Hinckley and the son of VP Bush (and their wives) had a dinner date for the day after Reagan was shot. The 2 families were very close.

http://www.tomflocco.com/fs/HinckleyAndBush.htm

[Archae]

7. Paranoid conspiracy theory web site.

One of the people used as a "source" there is the anti-Semite and original birther Phil Berg.

[JanMichael]

8. Nope. That was reported in a Texas newspaper

the day after. Look it up. That's no conspiracy at all. The Hinkley's and Bush's have family ties.

Please don't accuse people of "conspiracies" unless you at least look it up first. Hell, that fact is even is Wiki now: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hinckley,_Jr.

[Archae]

9. And...?

What does this have to do with the price of tea in China?

The fact is, Hinckley is nuts. Schizophrenic, he had the delusion that if he killed Reagan, Jodi Foster would fall madly in love with him.

So he goes to a pawn shop and buys a shit gun, and shoots Reagan and a few others.

No "conspiracy" needed or indicated, just a guy who is crazy, certifiably crazy, (and not from some "secret government brainwashing,&quot who acted out his delusions, like so many have done.

[olddad56]

10. what it has to do with the price of tea in China is this.

Hinckley's father (oil industry) and vice president (and former CIA director) Bush(oil industry) were close friends. Neither cared for Reagan because Reagan was opposed to tax breaks for the oil industry. Had John Hinckley successfully killed Reagan, Bush would have been president. Just a coincidence, I'm sure.

[former9thward]

12. Why would they choose a nut to be the assassin?

Why would they equip him with a lousy inaccurate gun?

[olddad56]

14. maybe he wasn't 'a nut' before they chose him.

[Archae]

13. Yes, just a coincidence.

I know in the fantasy world of conspiracies, coincidences don't happen, but in the real world they do.

http://www.hereinreality.com/hinckley.html#.VKhDVJV0y00

[treestar]

11. The common law year and a day rule

says if you live that long, causation isn't there.

But he would still be insane anyway - that issue wouldn't be different in the case.