TheTrialofJohnWHinckleyJr.docx
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TheTrialofJohnWHinckleyJr
TheTrialofJohnW.Hinckley,Jr.
byDougLinder(2001)
Theverdictof"notguilty"forreasonofinsanityinthe1982trialofJohnHinckley,Jr.forhis
attemptedassassinationofPresidentRonaldReaganstunnedandoutragedmanyAmericans.AnABCNewspolltakenthedayaftertheverdictshowed83%ofthosepolledthought"justicewas
notdone"intheHinckleycase.Somepeople——withoutmuchevidence——attributedtheverdicttoananti-ReaganbiasontheparttheWashington,D.C.juryofelevenblacksandone
white.Manymorepeople,however,blamedalegalsystemthattheyclaimedmadeittooeasyfor
juriestoreturn"notguilty"verdictsininsanitycases
——despitethefactthatsuchpleaswere
madeinonly2%offelonycasesandfailedover75%ofthetime.Publicpressureresultingfrom
theHinckleyverdictspurredCongressandmost
statesintoenactingmajorreformsoflaws
governingtheuseoftheinsanitydefense.
TheHinckleytrialhighlightsthedifficultyofasystemthatforcesjurorstolabeladefendanteither"sane"or"insane"whenthedefendantmayinfactbeclosetothemiddleonaspectrumrangingfromStarTrek'sMr.Spocktothepersonwhostrangleshiswifethinkingthathe'ssqueezingagrapefruit.AnyobjectiveevaluationofJohnHinckley'smentalconditionshowshim
tobeatroubledyoungman——not,asoneprosecutionwitnessdescribedhim,"anormal,All-Americanboy."Buthowtroubled?
TheprosecutioncontendedthatHinckleysufferedonlyfrom"personalitydisorders"ofthetypeaffectingfivetotenpercentofthepopulation,whereas
thedefensesawthesameevidenceasdemonstratingHinckley'sseriousmentalillness.
TheHinckleytrial,perhapsbetterthananyotherfamoustrial,revealsthedifficultyofascertainingwhatexactlyisgoingonintheheadofanotherhumanbeing——andtheninusingthatimperfectknowledgetoansweralegalquestionthatreducescomplexandchangingmentalstatestotwooversimplifiedcategories.
THETROUBLEDLIFEOFJOHNHINCKLEY
Theyoungestofthreechildrenborntoaworkaholicoilexecutiveandanagoraphobicstay-at-homemother,JohnHinckleyfromanearlyagewasclingyandverydependentuponhismother.ReviewingBreakingPoints,JoAnnandJackHinckley'sbookabouttheircomingtotermswiththeirson'smentalillness,LauraObolenskywrites——toocritically,perhaps——inTheNewRepublicoflifeinsidetheaffectlessHinckleyhome:
Perhapsitisfearofwhatliesoutsidethatmakestheinteriorofthefamilysorigidandsubdued,likelifeinawell-runbunker.TheworldoftheHinckleyswastherootless,middle-classSunbeltculturethatnurturespro-familyvalues,Christianfundamentalism,andoccasionalmassmurderers.Familiesmovefrequently,butwithoutcompromisingtheirparochialism.Everywhere,peoplearewhite,Christian,Republican(JoAnnexplainsJohn'segregiousprejudicesbysayinghehad"neverbeenaroundpeopleofotherraces.")Somewhereoutsidetherearemalignelements——minoritygroups,rockmusicians,biggovernment,andthecynical,Godlesscosmopoliteswhodominatethemedia.Mothersinthisculturedonotlavishattentionontheirchildren,butontheirfurniture.
HinckleydriftedaimlesslythroughtwoyearsofcollegeatTexasTech,inLubbock,playinghis
guitar,listeningtomusic,andwatchingtelevision.Inthespringof1976,hedroppedoutofschoolandheadedforHollywood,wherehehoped——despitealackofmusicaleducation——tomakeitasasongwriter.
WhileinHollywoodHinckleyfirstviewedamovie,TaxiDriver,thatseemedtogivedramaticcontenttohismiseryandmeaningtohislife.Fifteentimesoverthenextseveralyearshewatchedthistaleofapsychotictaxidriver,TravisBickle(playedbyRobertDeNiro),whocontemplatespoliticalassassinationandthenrescues——throughviolence——avulnerableyoungprostitute,Iris(playedbyJodieFoster),fromtheclutchesofherpimp.Inthemovie,Hinckleyseemstofindcluestoescapehisdepression.Hebeginstoadoptthedress,preferences,andmannerismsoftheBicklecharacter.LikeBickle,Hinckleybeginskeepingadiary,wearinganarmyfatiguejacketandboots,drinkingpeachbrandy,anddevelopsafascinationwithguns.InletterstohisparentsinEvergreen,Colorado,Hinckleydescribesafabricatedrelationshipwitha"Lynn,"whosharesmanycharacteristicswithBickle'sinitialloveinterestinthemovie,acampaignworkernamed"Betsy"(playedbyCybillShepherd).Mostsignificantly,however,Hinckleybeginsalong-termobsessionwithactressJodieFoster.
Inthespringof1977,admittingdefeatinhisattempttolaunchamusical
career,HinckleyreturnedTexasTech,wherehesporadicallyattendedclassandspentmostofhistimealone.Overthenexttwoyears,Hinckley'sparentsexpressedincreasingconcerntotheirsonabouthisoccupationalgoals.Hisdepressiondeepened.Lifeseemedtolackpurpose.InAugust,1979,heboughthisfirstgunandtookuptarget-shooting.Twotimesthatfallheplayed"RussianRoulette."ByChristmasof1979,fearoffacinghisfamilycausedhimtospendtheholidaybyhimselfinLubbock.AphotoHinckleytookofhimselfinearly1980showshimholdingaguntohistemple.
Inthesummerof1980,Hinckleyinformedhisparentsthathehadanewcareergoal,writing.HeaskedhisparentstopayforwritingcourseatYale.Hinckleyneverintendedtoenrollinwritingcourse;hisinterestinvisitingNewHavencenteredononeofYale'sundergraduates:
JodieFoster.
With$3,600ofhisparents'moneyandpromisingtoworkdiligentlyatYale,HinckleysetoffforConnecticutonSeptember17.
Notsurprisingly,HinckleyfailedinhiseffortstowintheloveofJodieFoster.Tooshyto
approachherinperson,Hinckleyleftlettersandpoemsinhermailboxandtalkedtohertwice—
—awkwardly——overthephone.
SoonafterhisdisappointmentatYale,HinckleybegantostalkPresidentCarteratcampaignappearances.Inathree-dayperiod,HinckleyvisitedthreecitieswhereCarterrallieswereheld:
Washington,D.C.,Columbus,andDayton.AlthoughassassinatingthePresidentwasclearlyonhismind,Hinckleyexplainedlaterthatatthattimehewasunabletogethimselfinto"aframe
ofmindwherehecouldactuallycarryouttheact."VideotakeninDaytonshowedHinckleytohavegottenwithintwentyfeetofthePresident.
Forthenextfewweeks,Hinckleycontinuedtoflyfreneticallyaroundthecountry.He
reappearedinNewHaven,thenflewtoLincoln,NebraskaonOctober6,wherehehopedtomeetwith"oneoftheleadingideologicians"oftheAmericanNaziParty.Thehoped-formeetingnevertookplace.FromLincolnitwasontoNashville,foranotherCartercampaignstop.SecurityofficersattheNashvilleairportarrestedHinckleyforcarryinghandgunsinhissuitcase,andconfiscatedboththegunsandhandcuffsalsofoundinhisluggage.Hinckleypaidafineandwasreleased.AfteryetanothershortvisittoYale,HinckleyflewtoDallas,wherehepurchasedmorehandguns.ThenHinckleyboardedaflightforWashington,continuinghistrailingofCarter.
OnOctober20,his$3,600exhausted,HinckleyflewhometoColorado,wherehisparentsexpressedstrongdisappointmentinhisfailuretocarryouthispromises.AfterHinckleyoverdosedonantidepressantmedication,theHinckleysarrangedfortheirsontomeetwithalocalpsychiatrist,Dr.JohnHopper.HoppermetwithHinckleyseveraltimesoverthecourseofthenextfourmonths,butlearnednothingofHinckley'sthoughtsofassassinationandlittleofhisobsessionwithFoster.HopperurgedJoAnnandJackHinckleytopushJohntowardemotionalandfinancialindependence.
Hinckley'smentalhealthdidnotimprove——rather,itdeteriorated.HecontinuedflyingacrossthecountrytoWashington(wherethenewPresident-Elect,RonaldReagan,wasstaying),NewYork(whereJohnLennonhadjustbeenassassinated),andNewHaven.While
inNewYork,HinckleyseriouslycontemplatedkillinghimselfinfrontoftheDakotaHotel,attheexactspotwhereLennonhadbeenshot.OnNewYear'sEveof1980,Hinckleyrecordedadeeplydisturbingmonologueinwhichhespokeofnot"really"wanting"tohurt"JodieFoster,hisfearsaboutlosinghissanity,andthelikelihoodof"suicidecity"ifhefailedtowinFoster'slove.
HinckleyreturnedtoColoradoforhislasttimeonMarch7,1981.JackHinckleymetJohnattheDenverairportandtoldJohn——havingfailedtoobtainajob——hewouldnotbeallowedtogohometoEvergreen.JackHinckleygavehisson$200,whichJohnusedtopayformotelroomsinDenverwherehesatalonewatchingtelevisionandreading.
Hinckley——unbeknownsttohisfather——interruptedhisstaysincheapmotelstovisithismotherseveraltimes.OnMarch25,JoAnnHinckleydroveJohntotheStapletonAirportinDenver.Theydroveinvirtualsilence.Atthecurbsideinfrontoftheterminal,ashereachedforhissuitcaseJohnsaidtohismother,"Iwanttothankyou,Mom,foreverythingyou'veeverdoneforme,alltheseyears."JoAnnHinckleyfeltfear"climbintomythroat"asshereplied,"You'reverywelcome."
THEASSASSINATION
Afteraone-daystayinHollywoodandacross-countrytripbyGreyhoundBus,HinckleycheckedintotheParkCentralHotelinWashington,D.C.ontheafternoonofMarch29.Afterarestlessnight,HinckleyrosethenextmorningforabreakfastatMcDonald's.Onthewaybacktothehotel,hepickeduptheWashingtonStar.HinckleynoticedthePresident'sschedule,onpageA-4,indicatingthatReaganwouldbespeakingtoalaborconventionattheWashingonHiltoninjustacoupleofhours.Hinckleyshowered,tookValiumtocalmhimself,loadedhistwenty-two
withexplodingDevastatorbulletspurchasedninemonthse