Reagan's would-be assassin to be released after 35 years

Washington : John Hinckley, who tried to assassinate president Ronald Reagan 35 years ago, is to be freed from a psychiatric hospital to live full-time with his mother, a federal judge ordered Wednesday.

Hinckley, who was declared not guilty of the attempted assassination on grounds of insanity, said after shooting the president outside a Washington hotel that he wanted to kill Reagan to impress the actor Jodie Foster, with whom he became obsessed after viewing the film "Taxi Driver."

The court order places dozens of detailed conditions on Hinckley's "full-time convalescent leave" from St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, including a ban on contact with Foster, but said they can be phased out after a year to 18 months if he continues to make progress.

US District Judge Paul Friedman wrote that Hinckley, 61, no longer poses a threat to himself or others.

He will be freed as soon as August 5 to live with his 90-year-old mother in her gated community in Williamsburg, Virginia.

"Contrary to the judge's decision, we believe John Hinckley is still a threat to others and we strongly oppose his release," the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute said in a statement.

The attack badly wounded three other men, including Reagan press secretary James Brady.

Following a two-month trial in 1982, a federal jury found Hinckley not guilty by reason of insanity. The widely criticized verdict led many states to tighten the laws on insanity defenses.

Since the 1990s, Hinckley has been permitted gradually longer supervised home visits with his mother, lately lasting up to 17 days. Secret Service agents have tracked him during each such foray.