John Hinckley Gets More Freedom
Headline Legal News
The man who tried to kill President Ronald Reagan is now allowed to visit his mother more, to get a driver's license and spend more time away from the mental hospital where he lives, a federal judge ruled.
John Hinckley shot President Reagan and wounded three others because of an obsession with actress Jodie Foster.
The ruling, released Tuesday, expands the freedoms of John Hinckley Jr. over the objections of prosecutors. They argued that Hinckley is still mentally ill and harbors unhealthy feelings about women.
Hinckley, 54, has been confined to St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Washington since he was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the 1981 shooting of Reagan.
Hinckley shot Reagan and wounded three others reportedly because of an obsession with actress Jodie Foster.
Gradually, Hinckley has been allowed more freedom as he has progressed in therapy.
Recently, family members and hospital officials requested that he be allowed to visit his mother's home in Williamsburg, Virginia, for nine nights instead of the six he was allowed; to get a driver's license; and to do volunteer work, according to court documents. There also was a request for Hinckley to have more unsupervised time away from the hospital.
Prosecutors objected to many of the requests, saying that Hinckley "continues to maintain inappropriate thoughts of violence," court documents said
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USCIS Issues Clarifying Guidance on NAFTA TN Status Eligibility for Economists
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that it is clarifying policy guidance (PDF, 71 KB) on the specific work activities its officers should consider when determining whether an individual qualifies for TN nonimmigrant status as an economist.
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) TN nonimmigrant status allows qualified Canadian and Mexican citizens to temporarily enter the U.S. to engage in specific professional activities, including the occupation of economist. The agreement, however, does not define the term economist, resulting in inconsistent decisions on whether certain analysts and financial professionals qualify for TN status as economists.
TN nonimmigrant status is intended to allow a limited number of professionals and specialists to work temporarily in certain specifically identified occupations in the United States. This updated guidance provides USCIS officers with a specific definition of one such category – economists – allowing them to adjudicate applications in a way that complies with the intent of the agreement. This policy update clarifies that professional economists requesting TN status must engage primarily in activities consistent with the profession of an economist. Individuals who work primarily in other occupations related to the field of economics — such as financial analysts, marketing analysts, and market research analysts — are not eligible for classification as a TN economist.