A poll conducted by ABC on the day of the
verdict showed:
76 % of Americans did not believe justice had
been done.
90 % did not think Hinckley should go freeeven if he recovered from his mental illness.
78 % were sure that Hinckley would eventually
go free.
The United States Attorney General publicly
called for an end to the "doctrine that allows so many to commit crimes
of violence, to use confusing procedures to their advantage, and then to
have the door opened for them to return to the society they victimized."