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Taxi Driver: The John Hinckley Jr.

896 Words4 Pages

There had been a huge case that shook America. The president had been shot, a person had become paralyzed, society had been unhappy with the verdict of the trial, and the would be assassin had been put in a psychiatric hospital for almost 30 years. The John Hinckley Jr. trial had been one that was easy to solve, but left a huge mark on history. The Hinckley parents were a “prosperous Texas oil family”. After John Jr. tried college for a short time, he went back to his family who were living in Colorado at the time. In the year 1967, Hinkley had discovered the movie “Taxi Driver”. Quickly, he became obsessed with the main female character, Jodie Foster. Because of the movie, Hinkley had tried to save Foster, like the male lead had tried in …show more content…

He had attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan while he was with his attendants, three of which had been shot. Hinckley had shot six bullets out of his .22-caliber bullet at the President when he had come out of the hotel he was staying in. Not only did he pierce Reagan's lung, but he had also hit James Brady, Press Secretary, in the head leaving him with permanent brain damage. President Reagan had stayed in the hospital for 12 days before returning to the White House.(1982 Hinckley Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity) The prosecution argue that Hinckley suffered from "personality disorders" which affect five to ten percent of the population, but the defense saw the same evidence as demonstrating Hinckley's severe mental illness. The defence then claimed not guilty with the reason of insanity. This was passed because of the evidence given in court, the letter Hinckley sent to Foster, him being in therapy, as well all of the witnesses that saw him fire the shots.Many people thought that justice was not served and blamed the legal system for it being “too easy for juries to return ‘not guilty” (Douglas).Although, in only two percent of cases that had tried to plea insane, seventy-five percent of them fail. He was later institutionalized in St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington DC, for 27 years, until he was released on September 10th, 2016. (John Hinckley Jr. to be living full-time in Virginia Sept.

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