President Reagan's attempted assassin will soon shed the restrictions that came with his initial prison release ... a federal judge granted John Hinckley Jr. an unconditional release.
Hinckley, now 66 years old after his failed 1981 assassination attempt, was released from prison in 2016, and was living at his mother's house under court-ordered supervision for all of that time. The level of supervision has gotten lighter over the years.
Now, the judge just signed off on a full release, set to begin next June, which means Hinckley will no longer be ordered to steer clear of the Reagan family or Jodie Foster ... with whom he was infatuated when he pulled the trigger.
As you know ... Hinckley was found not guilty by insanity for the 1981 shooting that left Reagan with a chest injury. His press secretary, James Brady, was paralyzed, while a Secret Service agent, and cop were also shot.
Hinckley was committed to St. Elizabeth's Hospital in D.C. after the verdict, where he lived until 2016 when a federal judge signed off on his release, with restrictions.
Prosecutors say Hinckley is now living on his own for the first time in about 4 decades -- his mother passed away this past July -- and one of his primary doctors is about to retire and disband his therapy group. Still, the Department of Behavioral Health says Hinckley is a low risk for future violence.
Hinckley's lawyer says his client wants to express regret and apologize to his victims' families, Jodie and the American people ... and claims Hinckley's full release is a victory for mental health.
The court ruling comes on the heels of last month's Sirhan Sirhan decision -- the California Parole Board recommended Robert F. Kennedy's assassin be granted parole. That decision will be reviewed before it's sent to Gov. Newsom's desk for approval.