Thirty years after attempting to assassinate then-U.S. President Ronald Reagan and serious wounding James Brady, new allegations are coming forward about the status of John Hinckley's case.

Government lawyers told a federal judge Wednesday that the man who shot President Ronald Reagan in 1981 went to a bookstore recently where he perused books on Reagan and people who've tried to assassinate presidents.

The charges are important, because Hinckley's defense team has been pushing for more freedom.

Court filings from St. Elizabeth's hospital are private, but Hinckley's doctors and his attorney have publicly pushed many times for more freedom for the failed assassin.

Most recently, they were able to secure for Hinckely a number of 10-day visits with his 85-year-old mom. Now, hospital officials want to increase his departures from the institution to 17- to 24-days at a time.

Hospital administrators say if those visits go well, they -- not the court -- should be allowed to decide whether Hinckley can be released to go live with his mother permanently.

But prosecutors say that this most recent incident only demonstrates the unstability Hinckley still demonstrates after 30 years.

Prosecutors who want to ensure that John Hinckley Jr., is not released from a mental hospital told the court that Hinckley is deceptive and unstable. They said Secret Service agents who tracked Hinckley during a visit to his mom's home followed Hinckley when he was supposed to be seeing a movie. Instead, he went to a bookstore across from the theater.

Hinckley "has a long history of deception," they said, and "does whatever he wants and thinks he can get away with it."

 

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