John Hinckley, Jr.

John Warnock Hinckley, Jr. (born May 29, 1955) attempted to assassinate U.S. President Ronald Reagan on March 30, 1981.

Reaction to verdict

The not guilty by insanity verdict led to widespread dismay and as a result, the U.S. Congress, and a number of states, re-wrote the law regarding the insanity defense. Three states have abolished the defense altogether. In the United States prior to the Hinckley case, the insanity defense was used in less than 2% of capital cases and was unsuccessful in almost 80% of the trials.

Related Topics:
U.S. Congress - Insanity defense - United States - Capital case

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~