Hearings on John Hinckley's mental state to continue WASHINGTON - A hearing on the mental state of the man who shot President Ronald Reagan continues in Washington's federal court. The hearing will determine whether John Hinckley can make weeks-long visits to his mother's home and live there eventually. Testimony resumes Monday. A jury found Hinckley was insane when he shot and wounded Reagan outside a Washington hotel in 1981, but doctors say his mental illness has been in remission for years. He has been held at St. Elizabeths Hospital in the District of Columbia for the last three decades, but a judge in recent years has permitted him increasing freedom. The judge has so far heard from several witnesses, including a sister and brother of Hinckley. Lawyers for the government say Hinckley's request for more freedom is premature. Read more: The Post's criminal justice coverage