TheTrialofJohnWHinckleyJr.docx

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

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