anybody think John Hinkley jr was really insane?

[whitehall]

He tried to kill President Reagan and severely wounded the Press Secretary in 1981. The defense said he watched the movie "Taxi Driver" about 70 times and became infatuated with the actress Jodie Foster. That's it. He was found NOT GUILTY by reason of insanity and spent a relatively easy 25 years in a hospital taking drugs and watching cable TV. He was ordered conditionally released in 2009.

 

[geauxtohell]

He tried to kill President Reagan and severely wounded the Press Secretary in 1981. The defense said he watched the movie "Taxi Driver" about 70 times and became infatuated with the actress Jodie Foster. That's it. He was found NOT GUILTY by reason of insanity and spent a relatively easy 25 years in a hospital taking drugs and watching cable TV. He was ordered conditionally released in 2009.

Yes. He suffered from a classic erotomaniac delusion, a symptom of psychosis.

Prior to Reagan he trailed Carter to try to assassinate him for the same motive. He wasn't politically motivated and his delusion was so outrageous that it is doubtful that he truly understood the consequences of his actions.

 

[uscitizen]

He tried to kill President Reagan and severely wounded the Press Secretary in 1981. The defense said he watched the movie "Taxi Driver" about 70 times and became infatuated with the actress Jodie Foster. That's it. He was found NOT GUILTY by reason of insanity and spent a relatively easy 25 years in a hospital taking drugs and watching cable TV. He was ordered conditionally released in 2009.

Yes. He suffered from a classic erotomaniac delusion, a symptom of psychosis.

Prior to Reagan he trailed Carter to try to assassinate him for the same motive. He wasn't politically motivated and his delusion was so outrageous that it is doubtful that he truly understood the consequences of his actions.

Yep just like Palin fanatics do.

 

[Madeline]

"Insanity" is a legal term, not a medical one. He was found to be insane by a jury, so yes, he was "insane".

Just out of curiosity, if he had been convicted instead, how many years in prison do you think he should have gotten? Did you think confinement to a hospital for the criminally insane was a cakewalk?

 

[whitehall]

Yeah, I think confinement to a mental institution is a cake-walk compared to hard time in a max security prison. We know he was found not guilty by a jury. The question remains did he know the difference between right and wrong. I would venture a guess that he had a defense team second to none and the jury was swayed by biased testimony from alleged psychiatric "experts" who were no doubt paid for their testimony.

 

[Madeline]

Whitehall, Hinckley is still confined to the hospital. It has been 30 years since he committed his crimes, 29 since he was tried for them. Do you seriously believe he'd have drawn a sentence of 30 years if he had been found guilty?

 

[whitehall]

Whitehall, Hinckley is still confined to the hospital. It has been 30 years since he committed his crimes, 29 since he was tried for them. Do you seriously believe he'd have drawn a sentence of 30 years if he had been found guilty?

Check again Maddy. He is still technically in the hospital's custody but in '09 A federal judge ordered him conditionally released and according to Wiki he can apply for a drivers license.

 

[California Girl]

He was a left wing lunatic. That is all.

*Sarcasm off*

 

[whitehall]

He was a left wing lunatic. That is all.

*Sarcasm off*

Hinkley was rational enough to mount an excellent defense. He ruined the life of James Brady who was a viable press secretary to the President and turned into something resembling a stroke victim and he may have shortned Reagan's life with a bullet that was too dangerous to remove. Life in prison in the cell next to Charles Manson was the logical penalty. Anybody still believe the fairy tale that "he did it for Jodie Foster"?

 

[Bill Angel]

He tried to kill President Reagan and severely wounded the Press Secretary in 1981. The defense said he watched the movie "Taxi Driver" about 70 times and became infatuated with the actress Jodie Foster. That's it. He was found NOT GUILTY by reason of insanity and spent a relatively easy 25 years in a hospital taking drugs and watching cable TV. He was ordered conditionally released in 2009.

It's interesting that the Reagan assassination attempt is brought up at this time.

"The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act was an Act of the United States Congress that, for the first time, instituted federal background checks on firearm purchasers in the United States... The Act was named after James Brady, who was shot by John Hinckley, Jr. during an attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan on March 30, 1981."

It want to know how the shooter in Arizona got possession of the weapon that he used. Does the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act need to be strengthened?

 

[Defiant1]

He tried to kill President Reagan and severely wounded the Press Secretary in 1981. The defense said he watched the movie "Taxi Driver" about 70 times and became infatuated with the actress Jodie Foster. That's it. He was found NOT GUILTY by reason of insanity and spent a relatively easy 25 years in a hospital taking drugs and watching cable TV. He was ordered conditionally released in 2009.

It's interesting that the Reagan assassination attempt is brought up at this time.

"The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act was an Act of the United States Congress that, for the first time, instituted federal background checks on firearm purchasers in the United States... The Act was named after James Brady, who was shot by John Hinckley, Jr. during an attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan on March 30, 1981."

It want to know how the shooter in Arizona got possession of the weapon that he used. Does the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act need to be strengthened?

The Brady Act doesn't need to be messed with. There just needs to be more busy bodies like you, spying and squealing on their neighbors when they see behavior they don't like.

Maybe you should start a movement.

FWIW, I don't believe Hinckley was insane and I don't believe this shooter is either.

 

[whitehall]

He tried to kill President Reagan and severely wounded the Press Secretary in 1981. The defense said he watched the movie "Taxi Driver" about 70 times and became infatuated with the actress Jodie Foster. That's it. He was found NOT GUILTY by reason of insanity and spent a relatively easy 25 years in a hospital taking drugs and watching cable TV. He was ordered conditionally released in 2009.

It's interesting that the Reagan assassination attempt is brought up at this time.

"The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act was an Act of the United States Congress that, for the first time, instituted federal background checks on firearm purchasers in the United States... The Act was named after James Brady, who was shot by John Hinckley, Jr. during an attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan on March 30, 1981."

It want to know how the shooter in Arizona got possession of the weapon that he used. Does the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act need to be strengthened?

It's not just "interesting". I brought it up on purpose. The left has been all over the place trying to pin a political motive on an insane act. The "tea party movement" was quickly blamed. Rush Limbaugh was blamed. Almost nobody tried to examine the political motivation that caused a rational adult to try to kill a republican president in 1981. The common belief promoted by the only sources available to the American public at the time, the liberal media, was that Hinkley "did it for Jodie Foster" and that was it. There was little outrage that Hinkley was found not guilty because the liberal media controlled information at that time.

 

[uscitizen]

He was a left wing lunatic. That is all.

*Sarcasm off*

Hinkley was rational enough to mount an excellent defense. He ruined the life of James Brady who was a viable press secretary to the President and turned into something resembling a stroke victim and he may have shortned Reagan's life with a bullet that was too dangerous to remove. Life in prison in the cell next to Charles Manson was the logical penalty. Anybody still believe the fairy tale that "he did it for Jodie Foster"?

Hinkley's Family had money and power.

 

[Madeline]

Whitehall, Hinckley is still confined to the hospital. It has been 30 years since he committed his crimes, 29 since he was tried for them. Do you seriously believe he'd have drawn a sentence of 30 years if he had been found guilty?

Check again Maddy. He is still technically in the hospital's custody but in '09 A federal judge ordered him conditionally released and according to Wiki he can apply for a drivers license.

Could be...I had trouble finding exact information. However, I assure you, the sentence for aggravated assault or assault with a deadly or attempted murder is not 28 years. Would you have been happier if Hinckley had served 15 or 20 years in prison, untreated, and was then released?

There are problems with our legal system's handling of the criminally insane. Myself, I'd be supportive of a change to "Guilty, But Insane".

 

[Madeline]

He tried to kill President Reagan and severely wounded the Press Secretary in 1981. The defense said he watched the movie "Taxi Driver" about 70 times and became infatuated with the actress Jodie Foster. That's it. He was found NOT GUILTY by reason of insanity and spent a relatively easy 25 years in a hospital taking drugs and watching cable TV. He was ordered conditionally released in 2009.

It's interesting that the Reagan assassination attempt is brought up at this time.

"The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act was an Act of the United States Congress that, for the first time, instituted federal background checks on firearm purchasers in the United States... The Act was named after James Brady, who was shot by John Hinckley, Jr. during an attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan on March 30, 1981."

It want to know how the shooter in Arizona got possession of the weapon that he used. Does the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act need to be strengthened?

It's not just "interesting". I brought it up on purpose. The left has been all over the place trying to pin a political motive on an insane act. The "tea party movement" was quickly blamed. Rush Limbaugh was blamed. Almost nobody tried to examine the political motivation that caused a rational adult to try to kill a republican president in 1981. The common belief promoted by the only sources available to the American public at the time, the liberal media, was that Hinkley "did it for Jodie Foster" and that was it. There was little outrage that Hinkley was found not guilty because the liberal media controlled information at that time.

There was enormous outrage. Most states reformed their insanity defense laws. Let us not exaggerate.

 

[whitehall]

Whitehall, Hinckley is still confined to the hospital. It has been 30 years since he committed his crimes, 29 since he was tried for them. Do you seriously believe he'd have drawn a sentence of 30 years if he had been found guilty?

Check again Maddy. He is still technically in the hospital's custody but in '09 A federal judge ordered him conditionally released and according to Wiki he can apply for a drivers license.

Could be...I had trouble finding exact information. However, I assure you, the sentence for aggravated assault or assault with a deadly or attempted murder is not 28 years. Would you have been happier if Hinckley had served 15 or 20 years in prison, untreated, and was then released?

There are problems with our legal system's handling of the criminally insane. Myself, I'd be supportive of a change to "Guilty, But Insane".

I would have been happy if the mainstream left leaning media and the ignorant lefties acknowledged that the attempted assassination was politically motivated rather than "for Jodie Foster". I would have been satisfied with a logical sentence of time in prison. I'm surprised there was no attempt to pass a law making it a life sentence to attempt to murder an elected official but Reagan was a republican so there was minimal outcry when the perp was found not guilty.

 

[jillian]

He tried to kill President Reagan and severely wounded the Press Secretary in 1981. The defense said he watched the movie "Taxi Driver" about 70 times and became infatuated with the actress Jodie Foster. That's it. He was found NOT GUILTY by reason of insanity and spent a relatively easy 25 years in a hospital taking drugs and watching cable TV. He was ordered conditionally released in 2009.

It's interesting that the Reagan assassination attempt is brought up at this time.

"The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act was an Act of the United States Congress that, for the first time, instituted federal background checks on firearm purchasers in the United States... The Act was named after James Brady, who was shot by John Hinckley, Jr. during an attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan on March 30, 1981."

It want to know how the shooter in Arizona got possession of the weapon that he used. Does the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act need to be strengthened?

It's not just "interesting". I brought it up on purpose. The left has been all over the place trying to pin a political motive on an insane act. The "tea party movement" was quickly blamed. Rush Limbaugh was blamed. Almost nobody tried to examine the political motivation that caused a rational adult to try to kill a republican president in 1981. The common belief promoted by the only sources available to the American public at the time, the liberal media, was that Hinkley "did it for Jodie Foster" and that was it. There was little outrage that Hinkley was found not guilty because the liberal media controlled information at that time.

in other words, you're a moron.

 

[whitehall]

It's interesting that the Reagan assassination attempt is brought up at this time.

"The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act was an Act of the United States Congress that, for the first time, instituted federal background checks on firearm purchasers in the United States... The Act was named after James Brady, who was shot by John Hinckley, Jr. during an attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan on March 30, 1981."

It want to know how the shooter in Arizona got possession of the weapon that he used. Does the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act need to be strengthened?

It's not just "interesting". I brought it up on purpose. The left has been all over the place trying to pin a political motive on an insane act. The "tea party movement" was quickly blamed. Rush Limbaugh was blamed. Almost nobody tried to examine the political motivation that caused a rational adult to try to kill a republican president in 1981. The common belief promoted by the only sources available to the American public at the time, the liberal media, was that Hinkley "did it for Jodie Foster" and that was it. There was little outrage that Hinkley was found not guilty because the liberal media controlled information at that time.

in other words, you're a moron.

"Trust none of what you hear and less of what you see"? Where is that political genius Bruce Springsteen when you need another quote? A one hit wonder?

 

[Madeline]

Check again Maddy. He is still technically in the hospital's custody but in '09 A federal judge ordered him conditionally released and according to Wiki he can apply for a drivers license.

Could be...I had trouble finding exact information. However, I assure you, the sentence for aggravated assault or assault with a deadly or attempted murder is not 28 years. Would you have been happier if Hinckley had served 15 or 20 years in prison, untreated, and was then released?

There are problems with our legal system's handling of the criminally insane. Myself, I'd be supportive of a change to "Guilty, But Insane".

I would have been happy if the mainstream left leaning media and the ignorant lefties acknowledged that the attempted assassination was politically motivated rather than "for Jodie Foster". I would have been satisfied with a logical sentence of time in prison. I'm surprised there was no attempt to pass a law making it a life sentence to attempt to murder an elected official but Reagan was a republican so there was minimal outcry when the perp was found not guilty.

You have almost all the facts wrong, whitehall.

If your point is, nobody should ever be permitted to defend on the insanity defense, just say so and we can discuss that.

 

[hjmick]

Anyone trying to impress Jodie Foster has to be crazy...