Published
4 years agoon
WASHINGTON — The man who tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan is interested in getting a job in the music industry, possibly in California, his lawyer said at a court hearing in Washington on Tuesday.
He acknowledged after the hearing, however, that getting the judge to grant Hinckley unconditional release would be a lengthy process.
Hinckley lives with his older brother Scott as well as his mother, who is in her 90s. According to court records he anonymously sells books online as well as items at an antique mall. Music has long been an interest for Hinckley, who plays guitar, writes music and sings. He participates in music therapy once a month. Under the conditions Friedman has imposed, however, he can’t perform publicly.
“He’s got some talent,” Levine said after the hearing, though he declined to elaborate on the kind of music industry job Hinckley might want.
Prosecutor Kacie Weston didn’t go into detail about why the government would be concerned about a move to California for a music industry job. But that kind of move would put him far from a team of mental health professionals he has worked with for years, and Hinckley’s underlying crime had a link to California’s entertainment industry. Hinckley shot Reagan in an effort to impress actress Jodie Foster.
In addition to a music industry job, Hinckley is interested in traveling, Levine said, possibly to visit his sister in Texas.
The judge said that while he’d consider fewer restrictions, he wants answers about Hinckley’s future. He asked about a plan for where Hinckley would live if his mother needs to move to an assisted living facility or dies. He also noted that Hinckley has benefited from the team of mental health professionals around him but said that some of them are considering retirement. He asked to know more about Hinckley’s care going forward.
“It’s been a long time since 1981,” Friedman said near the end of the hearing, adding that he believes Hinckley is ready for the “next step.”
“The question is what the next step is,” he said.
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