(Image source: Wikimedia Commons)

BY ZACH TOOMBS

It’s been 30 years since John Hinckley fired the bullet that literally came within an inch of ending President Ronald Reagan’s life. On Wednesday, a judge will begin hearings on whether Hinckley should be released from the mental hospital where he’s resided since his trial ended in 1982. 

The jury found Hinckley not guilty by reason of insanity. ABC Washington affiliate WJLA reports.

“Some doctors believe Hinckley should be allowed to go home, and they advocate that he’d live with his elderly mother in Williamsburg, Virginia, but prosecutors say he’s still dangerous.”

Hinckley’s March 1981 attack on Reagan as the president entered his limo injured four men, including the president and his press secretary, James Brady, who was shot in the head and still suffers from partial paralysis and memory loss.

But St. Elizabeth’s hospital in D.C., where Hinckley, now 56, has spent his days since the failed attempt, is petitioning a federal court to free Hinckley so he can care for his 85-year-old mother. NBC’s Washington affiliate spoke with Hinckley’s lawyer, who argues:

“There is no evidence of him being dangerous, not a little bit, not marginal evidence. None. And they know it.”

But CNN reports:

The government's response for the hearing describes Hinckley as "a man capable of great violence" and argues that there are still concerns "that this violence may be repeated."

And The Washington Post points out that Hinckley still struggles with his mental health.

“Hinckley has been diagnosed with depression and an unspecified psychiatric disorder, both of which appear to be in remission. He still suffers from narcissism, according to court records.”

According to CNN, the hearings will last eight days and will include contrasting testimony from psychiatrists, just as Hinckley’s trial did in 1982.