Federal judge allows would-be Reagan assassin John Hinckley to live by himself

Doug Stanglin | USA TODAY

A federal judge has eased the release terms for John W. Hinckley, Jr., the would-be assassin of President Ronald Reagan, permitting him to live on his own or with roommates under tight travel restrictions in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Hinckley, 63, has been living at his mother's home in Williamsburg, about 150 miles south of Washington, since his conditional release from St. Elizabeth's hospital in 2016.

The consent order by U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman on Friday came during a routine update on Hinckley's mental health progress.

Friedman, citing findings of experts and his doctors' reports, said Hinckley "has been compliant with all the conditions of is release and has remained mentally stable."

Hinckley was 25 when he wounded Reagan, White House press secretary James Brady, U.S. Secret Service agent Tim McCarthy and D.C. police officer Thomas Delahanty with six shots from a .22-caliber pistol outside a Washington, D.C., hotel.

A jury in 1982 found him not guilty of the assassination because he was deemed legally insane. He was committed to a hospital for the mentally ill.

Authorities said at the time that he had attacked the president in an attempt to impress actress Jodie Foster.

The latest consent order will allow Hinckley to live on his own. He is required to perform volunteer or paid work at least 3 days a week, and keep a daily log of his activities.

He has reportedly been working part time at a Williamsburg bookstore.

Hinckley is restricted to a 75-mile radius of Williamsburg and can travel unaccompanied, but will not be required to have a tracking device on his car. The order, however, does require him to carry a GPS-enabled cell phone whenever he is away from his residence.

As in the past, Hinckley must submit to regular treatment from a variety of mental health specialists.

The order allows him to use the Internet but not to search for information about himself, or join any social media sites.

Hinckley is banned from having weapons or consuming alcohol or illegal drugs. He must also avoid any contact with the news media, his victims and their families, the U.S. president, and members of Congress.

Hinckley attorney Barry Wm. Levine said he hoped the next step would be Hinckley's unconditional release, The Washington Post reported.

“Mr. Hinckley is now in his 60s. His mother is 93 or 94 years old. He’s trying to live a good life, trying to salvage what’s left, and to live a regular life like the rest of us. That’s the objective,” Levine said.