Crazy

[Sangersteve]

You're tell me after 33 years he was shot to death.Down is up.


The death of James Brady, who served as press secretary for Ronald Reagan and died earlier this week at the age of 73, was ruled a homicide, 33 years after he was wounded during an attempt on Reagan’s life.

The District of Columbia medical examiner issued the ruling Friday, according to NBC Washington.

According to the station, the determination opens up the possibility of murder charges against John Hinckley Jr., the man who shot Brady, Reagan and two others outside of the Washington Hilton Hotel on March 30, 1981.

Brady suffered a gun shot wound to the head and was partially paralyzed. Reagan was wounded by a ricocheted bullet which struck him in the chest.

Hinckley Jr. was found not guilty by reason of insanity for the attempted assassination and is currently in a mental hospital outside of Washington.

Brady, who died Monday following what a spokesman said was “a series of health issues,” suffered slurred speech and was mostly relegated to a wheelchair after the shooting. He also became a staunch advocate for gun control.

A request for comment to the Washington, D.C. police department was not immediately returned.

Update: The Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department issued a statement which reads, in part, “On Monday, August 4, 2014, at approximately 10:40 am, at his residence in Alexandria, Virginia, Mr. James Brady succumbed to his injuries sustained in the 1981 shooting and was pronounced dead.”

“An autopsy was conducted and revealed the cause of death to be a gunshot wound and consequences thereof, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide,” according to the statement, which noted that Brady’s death marks the 71st homicide of the year in the city.

“Members of Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch, the United States Attorney’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are reviewing this case,” the statement reads.

[Kiamichi]

It used to be common law that if a victim lived a year and a day his death could not be considered a murder, legally speaking, but there was a Supreme Court case overturning that a few years ago.

[PlanoSooner]

will 'they' use his death to promote more gun laws?

[LibraryLady]

Ruling like that is not unheard of........IIRC, a man was injured (car? work??) can't remember........anyway he was in nursing home for years because of the injury and when he died, it was ruled to be because of the initial event--and then some charges were filed. I think that case was in the Houston area.

[Kiamichi]

Hinckley has already been convicted of the act so double jeopardy prevents any further prosecution.

eta: or rather acquitted on the basis of insanity, which gives the same result.

[BigTex]

Why doesn't the coroner just put on everyone's death certificate: Cause of Death - Birth.

[BillB]

Hinckley has already been convicted of the act so double jeopardy prevents any further prosecution.

eta: or rather acquitted on the basis of insanity, which gives the same result.

Hinckley was charged with the attempted assassination of a president, the assault on a Secret Service agent and various firearms charges.
As far as I can tell he wasn't charged with and tried for shooting Brady. This was probably because shooting Brady was not a federal crime. The other things were.
He is subject to being charged with killing Brady. It wouldn't be double jeopardy.

[BillB]

It appears I was wrong in my previous post. Hinckley was tried on charges relating to shooting Brady. At least, I just read that.
I don't know exactly what the charge was and it's hard to tell if trying him for murder would be double jeopardy. I don't think they'll do it anyway.

[Kiamichi]

The lawyers quoted say new charges would be legally unsustainable. Since the shooting was in DC a single trial encompassed federal and what would be state charges in other jurisdictions.

[Red Oak]

will 'they' use his death to promote more gun laws?

Does a Bear crap in the woods ?

[BillB]

will 'they' use his death to promote more gun laws?

There will be a Brady Memorial Bill of some kind.
It'll probably shut down gun shows. That's been a high priority for a long time.