By Del Quentin Wilber
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 22, 2008

The siblings of presidential assailant John W. Hinckley Jr. told a federal judge in Washington yesterday that they do not view him as a danger to the community and believe he would benefit from obtaining a driver's license and spending more unsupervised time at their mother's home.

The testimony came as U.S. District Judge Paul L. Friedman weighs a request by doctors at St. Elizabeths Hospital to grant Hinckley more privileges. The judge seemed particularly interested in how Hinckley reacted to the death of his father this year and how he handled himself during recent unsupervised visits to his mother's home in the Williamsburg area.

"There was nothing I saw as a red flag," Hinckley's sister, Diane Hinckley Sims, said at a hearing. "John did everything he was supposed to do. . . . He did it well."

Hinckley, 53, has been confined to the psychiatric hospital since he was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the March 1981 shootings of President Ronald Reagan; Reagan's press secretary, James Brady; a Secret Service agent; and a D.C. police officer. In recent years, he has gradually gained more freedoms, often despite protests from prosecutors.

The doctors' request has not been made public, but some details were revealed in court filings. The doctors would like to expand the number of unsupervised visits by Hinckley to his mother's home from about nine a year to 12.

The doctors also are seeking to boost the number of days for each visit from seven to 10. And they would like Hinckley to be able to get a driver's license.

Prosecutors are fighting most of the proposals, saying Hinckley is not ready to handle more freedom.

They have argued that Hinckley has not tried very hard to get volunteer work in Williamsburg, a key component of his treatment plan, and expressed concern about his relationships with women. Prosecutors revealed yesterday that Hinckley has started a romantic relationship with a woman, described in court as "Ms. G."

Hinckley has said that he shot Reagan to impress actress Jodie Foster.

The hearing is expected to last a week and include testimony from doctors treating Hinckley. In court yesterday, Hinckley wore a dark blazer and gray slacks and sat quietly, often with his chin propped on one of his hands.

Much of the testimony from Hinckley's siblings focused on how he handled the Jan. 29 death of his father, John W. "Jack" Hinckley, the relationship with "Ms. G" and his lackluster effort to find a volunteer job.

Hinckley was granted a visit just before his father died of an illness, and Hinckley appeared somber and supportive, his sister said. At his father's funeral, Hinckley displayed no problems standing in a condolence line and was sociable in a room of about 200 people, the siblings testified.

"He was a comfort to my mother and a comfort to myself," his sister said.

However, the siblings testified, the visits also can be challenging.

In May, Hinckley wanted to bring "Ms. G" to visit Williamsburg to meet his mother on a weekend when he would be attending a block party at the family's home. But doctors did not think that was a good idea, and neither did his brother, Scott Hinckley. They wanted Hinckley to concentrate on meeting neighbors.

"I thought she would be a distraction," Scott Hinckley said. "Ms. G" did not make the trip.

During that visit, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Chasson said, Hinckley missed a meeting with the local Salvation Army office about a volunteer job. Acknowledging that he was frustrated by his brother's lack of success at finding a volunteer position, Scott Hinckley said he thought his brother would eventually find a post.

Hinckley's sister also testified about some of the difficulties he has had fitting in with others. After a story about his case appeared in the local paper last month, Hinckley and his sister attended a meeting of a singles' social group. The woman running the meeting told Hinckley and his sister that she did not feel comfortable with them there, Hinckley Sims said.

She said they stayed for part of the meeting and then eventually left because they had brought the wrong food and were younger than most of the group's members.

The siblings, who live in Dallas, said they would step up visits to Williamsburg if necessary. Friedman expressed concern about what will happen when Hinckley's mother, Jo Ann, can no longer handle the visits. She is 82.