Hinckley Found Not Guilty: Mental Health Law Faces Scrutiny
John Hinckley Jr. shot President Ronald Reagan on March 30, 1981, and was found not guilty by reason of insanity on June 21, 1982. Hinckley had fired six shots outside the Washington Hilton hotel, wounding Reagan, press secretary James Brady, a Secret Service agent, and a police officer. Hinckley said he acted to impress actress Jodie Foster, with whom he was obsessed. The verdict provoked public outrage and prompted Congress to pass the Insanity Defense Reform Act of 1984, which shifted the burden of proof from the prosecution to the defense, requiring defendants to prove insanity by "clear and convincing evidence" rather than the prosecution disproving it. Hinckley was institutionalized at St. Elizabeth's Hospital for 34 years before being released under restrictions in 2016. All restrictions were lifted in 2022.
June 21, 1982
44 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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