The insanity defense has always been a very controversial issue in the United States. Many people do not believe that by being classified as insane is a viable excuse for committing a crime, especially one as heinous as murder. There are many opponents to the use of the insanity plea because they feel that those who are found not guilty by reason of insanity are not punished for their criminal actions. Over time there have been several changes made to the defense plea, but it was not until the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan by John Hinckley, Jr. that the insanity defense came under high scrutiny in the United States and many Americans called for reform.

On March 30, 1981 John Hinckley, Jr. did the unthinkable. As President Reagan and several members of his staff exited the Washington Hilton Hotel Hinckley opened fire. Once the shots rang out secret service agents grabbed

President Reagan, put him into a limousine and brought him to safety. It was not until later that the agents realized that the president had been wounded, along with three other individuals. The president was brought to George Washington Hospital where he underwent surgery t

The defense used Hinckley's obsessions with Foster and Taxi Driver to paint a picture of Hinckley as a mentally disturbed individual that could not tell reality from fantasy. The defense team used Dr. Carpenter, an expert in schizophrenia to establish the fact that Hinckley could not distinguish between reality and fantasy. The intent of the defense team was to show the jury that the actions of John Hinckley, Jr. on March 30, 1981 were not those of a sane man, but of a man who believed that he was a character from a movie. Throughout the trial the defense team put several more witnesses on the stand to illustrate Hinckley's mental status on the day in question. Two experts for the defense, Dr. Ernest Prelinger and Dr. Thomas Goldman, testified that Hinckley was not emotionally aware of his actions on this day and that he acted out because of his obsession with Jodie Foster. Hinckley believed that by killing the president he would impress Foster, and cause her to call in love with him. The defense argued that these are clearly not the actions of someone who thinks rationally, they were the actions of an individual who mixes fantasy with reality.

o repair a collapsed lung and other damage that was caused by the .22 caliber bullet that passed through his ribs.

were made by both congress and the states that not limited the use of the insanity plea, but also put restrictions on its usage.

Web at http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/hinckley/ACCOUNT.htm

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