The Trial of John W Hinckley Jr.docx
- 文档编号:7470908
- 上传时间:2023-01-24
- 格式:DOCX
- 页数:11
- 大小:25.93KB
The Trial of John W Hinckley Jr.docx
《The Trial of John W Hinckley Jr.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《The Trial of John W Hinckley Jr.docx(11页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
TheTrialofJohnWHinckleyJr
TheTrialofJohnW.Hinckley,Jr.
byDougLinder(2001)
Theverdictof"notguilty"forreasonofinsanityinthe1982trialofJohnHinckley,Jr.forhisattemptedassassinationofPresidentRonaldReaganstunnedandoutragedmanyAmericans.AnABCNewspolltakenthedayaftertheverdictshowed83%ofthosepolledthought"justicewasnotdone"inthe Hinckley case.Somepeople——withoutmuchevidence——attributedtheverdicttoananti-ReaganbiasontheparttheWashington,D.C.juryofelevenblacksandonewhite.Manymorepeople,however,blamedalegalsystemthattheyclaimedmadeittooeasyforjuriestoreturn"notguilty"verdictsininsanitycases——despitethefactthatsuchpleasweremadeinonly2%offelonycasesandfailedover75%ofthetime.Publicpressureresultingfromthe Hinckley verdictspurredCongressandmoststatesintoenactingmajorreformsoflawsgoverningtheuseoftheinsanitydefense.
The Hinckley trialhighlightsthedifficultyofasystemthatforcesjurorstolabeladefendanteither"sane"or"insane"whenthedefendantmayinfactbeclosetothemiddleonaspectrumrangingfromStarTrek'sMr.Spocktothepersonwhostrangleshiswifethinkingthathe'ssqueezingagrapefruit.AnyobjectiveevaluationofJohnHinckley'smentalconditionshowshimtobeatroubledyoungman——not,asoneprosecutionwitnessdescribedhim,"anormal,All-Americanboy."Buthowtroubled?
TheprosecutioncontendedthatHinckleysufferedonlyfrom"personalitydisorders"ofthetypeaffectingfivetotenpercentofthepopulation,whereasthedefensesawthesameevidenceasdemonstrating Hinckley'sseriousmentalillness.
TheHinckleytrial,perhapsbetterthananyotherfamoustrial,revealsthedifficultyofascertainingwhatexactlyisgoingonintheheadofanotherhumanbeing——andtheninusingthatimperfectknowledgetoansweralegalquestionthatreducescomplexandchangingmentalstatestotwooversimplifiedcategories.
THETROUBLEDLIFEOFJOHNHINCKLEY
Theyoungestofthreechildrenborntoaworkaholicoilexecutiveandanagoraphobicstay-at-homemother,JohnHinckleyfromanearlyagewasclingyandverydependentuponhismother.ReviewingBreakingPoints,JoAnnandJackHinckley'sbookabouttheircomingtotermswiththeirson'smentalillness,LauraObolenskywrites——toocritically,perhaps——inTheNewRepublicoflifeinsidetheaffectlessHinckleyhome:
Perhapsitisfearofwhatliesoutsidethatmakestheinteriorofthefamilysorigidandsubdued,likelifeinawell-runbunker.TheworldoftheHinckleyswastherootless,middle-class Sunbelt culturethatnurturespro-familyvalues,Christianfundamentalism,andoccasionalmassmurderers.Familiesmovefrequently,butwithoutcompromisingtheirparochialism.Everywhere,peoplearewhite,Christian,Republican(JoAnnexplainsJohn'segregiousprejudicesbysayinghehad"neverbeenaroundpeopleofotherraces.")Somewhereoutsidetherearemalignelements——minoritygroups,rockmusicians,biggovernment,andthecynical,Godlesscosmopoliteswhodominatethemedia.Mothersinthisculturedonotlavishattentionontheirchildren,butontheirfurniture.
HinckleydriftedaimlesslythroughtwoyearsofcollegeatTexasTech,in Lubbock,playinghisguitar,listeningtomusic,andwatchingtelevision.Inthespringof1976,hedroppedoutofschoolandheadedforHollywood,wherehehoped——despitealackofmusicaleducation——tomakeitasasongwriter.
WhileinHollywoodHinckleyfirstviewedamovie,TaxiDriver,thatseemedtogivedramaticcontenttohismiseryandmeaningtohislife.Fifteentimesoverthenextseveralyearshewatchedthistaleofapsychotictaxidriver,TravisBickle(playedbyRobertDeNiro),whocontemplatespoliticalassassinationandthenrescues——throughviolence——avulnerableyoungprostitute,Iris(playedbyJodieFoster),fromtheclutchesofherpimp.Inthemovie, Hinckley seemstofindcluestoescapehisdepression.Hebeginstoadoptthedress,preferences,andmannerismsoftheBicklecharacter.LikeBickle, Hinckley beginskeepingadiary,wearinganarmyfatiguejacketandboots,drinkingpeachbrandy,anddevelopsafascinationwithguns.InletterstohisparentsinEvergreen,Colorado,Hinckleydescribesafabricatedrelationshipwitha"Lynn,"whosharesmanycharacteristicswithBickle'sinitialloveinterestinthemovie,acampaignworkernamed"Betsy"(playedbyCybillShepherd).Mostsignificantly,however, Hinckley beginsalong-termobsessionwithactressJodieFoster.
Inthespringof1977,admittingdefeatinhisattempttolaunchamusicalcareer, Hinckley returnedTexasTech,wherehesporadicallyattendedclassandspentmostofhistimealone.Overthenexttwoyears, Hinckley'sparentsexpressedincreasingconcerntotheirsonabouthisoccupationalgoals.Hisdepressiondeepened.Lifeseemedtolackpurpose.InAugust,1979,heboughthisfirstgunandtookuptarget-shooting.Twotimesthatfallheplayed"RussianRoulette."ByChristmasof1979,fearoffacinghisfamilycausedhimtospendtheholidaybyhimselfin Lubbock.Aphoto Hinckley tookofhimselfinearly1980showshimholdingaguntohistemple.
Inthesummerof1980, Hinckley informedhisparentsthathehadanewcareergoal,writing.HeaskedhisparentstopayforwritingcourseatYale.Hinckleyneverintendedtoenrollinwritingcourse;hisinterestinvisiting NewHaven centeredononeofYale'sundergraduates:
JodieFoster.With$3,600ofhisparents'moneyandpromisingtoworkdiligentlyatYale,Hinckleysetofffor Connecticut onSeptember17.
Notsurprisingly, Hinckley failedinhiseffortstowintheloveofJodieFoster.Tooshytoapproachherinperson,Hinckleyleftlettersandpoemsinhermailboxandtalkedtohertwice——awkwardly——overthephone.
SoonafterhisdisappointmentatYale, Hinckley begantostalkPresidentCarteratcampaignappearances.Inathree-dayperiod,HinckleyvisitedthreecitieswhereCarterrallieswereheld:
Washington,D.C.,Columbus,and Dayton.AlthoughassassinatingthePresidentwasclearlyonhismind, Hinckley explainedlaterthatatthattimehewasunabletogethimselfinto"aframeofmindwherehecouldactuallycarryouttheact."Videotakenin Dayton showed Hinckley tohavegottenwithintwentyfeetofthePresident.
Forthenextfewweeks, Hinckley continuedtoflyfreneticallyaroundthecountry.Hereappearedin NewHaven,thenflewto Lincoln, Nebraska onOctober6,wherehehopedtomeetwith"oneoftheleadingideologicians"oftheAmericanNaziParty.Thehoped-formeetingnevertookplace.From Lincoln itwasonto Nashville,foranotherCartercampaignstop.Securityofficersatthe Nashville airportarrested Hinckley forcarryinghandgunsinhissuitcase,andconfiscatedboththegunsandhandcuffsalsofoundinhisluggage. Hinckley paidafineandwasreleased.AfteryetanothershortvisittoYale,Hinckleyflewto Dallas,wherehepurchasedmorehandguns.ThenHinckleyboardedaflightfor Washington,continuinghistrailingofCarter.
OnOctober20,his$3,600exhausted,Hinckleyflewhometo Colorado,wherehisparentsexpressedstrongdisappointmentinhisfailuretocarryouthispromises.After Hinckley overdosedonantidepressantmedication,theHinckleysarrangedfortheirsontomeetwithalocalpsychiatrist,Dr.JohnHopper.HoppermetwithHinckleyseveraltimesoverthecourseofthenextfourmonths,butlearnednothingof Hinckley'sthoughtsofassassinationandlittleofhisobsessionwithFoster.HopperurgedJoAnnandJackHinckleytopushJohntowardemotionalandfinancialindependence.
Hinckley'smentalhealthdidnotimprove——rather,itdeteriorated.Hecontinuedflyingacrossthecountryto Washington (wherethenewPresident-Elect,RonaldReagan,wasstaying), NewYork (whereJohnLennonhadjustbeenassassinated),and NewHaven.Whilein NewYork, Hinckley seriouslycontemplatedkillinghimselfinfrontoftheDakotaHotel,attheexactspotwhereLennonhadbeenshot.OnNewYear'sEveof1980, Hinckley recordedadeeplydisturbingmonologueinwhichhespokeofnot"really"wanting"tohurt"JodieFoster,hisfearsaboutlosinghissanity,andthelikelihoodof"suicidecity"ifhefailedtowinFoster'slove.
HinckleyreturnedtoColoradoforhislasttimeonMarch7,1981.JackHinckleymetJohnattheDenverairportandtoldJohn——havingfailedtoobtainajob——hewouldnotbeallowedtogohometoEvergreen.JackHinckleygavehisson$200,whichJohnusedtopayformotelroomsin Denver wherehesatalonewatchingtelevisionandreading.
Hinckley——unbeknownsttohisfather——interruptedhisstaysincheapmotelstovisithismotherseveraltimes.OnMarch25,JoAnnHinckleydroveJohntothe Stapleton Airport in Denver.Theydroveinvirtualsilence.Atthecurbsideinfrontoftheterminal,ashereachedforhissuitcaseJohnsaidtohismother,"Iwanttothankyou,Mom,foreverythingyou'veeverdoneforme,alltheseyears."JoAnnHinckleyfeltfear"climbintomythroat"asshereplied,"You'reverywelcome."
THEASSASSINATION
Afteraone-daystayin Hollywood andacross-countrytripbyGreyhoundBus,HinckleycheckedintotheParkCentralHotelin Washington,D.C.ontheafternoonofMarch29.Afterarestlessnight, Hinckley rosethenextmorningforabreakfastatMcDonald's.Onthewaybacktothehotel,hepickeduptheWashingtonStar. Hinckley noticedthePresident'sschedule,onpageA-4,indicatingthatReaganwouldbespeakingtoalaborconventionattheWashingonHiltoninjustacoupleofhours.Hinckleyshowered,tookValiumtocalmhimself,loadedhistwenty-twowithexplodingDevastatorbulletspurchasedninemonths
- 配套讲稿:
如PPT文件的首页显示word图标,表示该PPT已包含配套word讲稿。双击word图标可打开word文档。
- 特殊限制:
部分文档作品中含有的国旗、国徽等图片,仅作为作品整体效果示例展示,禁止商用。设计者仅对作品中独创性部分享有著作权。
- 关 键 词:
- The Trial of John Hinckley Jr
![提示](https://static.bdocx.com/images/bang_tan.gif)