(2003-11-26) -- John Hinckley, the man who shot President Ronald Reagan and his Press Secretary James Brady, will be allowed to leave a mental institution for unsupervised visits with his family after undergoing a criminal background check, a 72-hour waiting period and the installation of fingerlocks on his hands to prevent him from "accidentally" pulling the trigger on a gun.

Mr. Hinckley, who was acquitted of the assassination attempt because he thought he was doing it to impress a movie actress, said, "I'm just another innocent American being persecuted by the state for a mental condition beyond my control."

Since 1999, Mr. Hinckley has enjoyed dozens of supervised trips with his parents to restaurants, bowling alleys and other public places.

In related news, James Brady's request to make unsupervised trips to public places without his wheelchair was denied.