Case: USA vs. John Hinckley, Jr.

How it all began …

On March 30, 1981, John Hinckley, Jr. attempted to assassinate President Ronald Wilson Reagan as he left an AFL-CIO conference in Washington, D.C.  The shots Hinckley fired wounded President Reagan, police officer Thomas Delehanty and Secret Service Agent Timothy McCarthy, and permanently disabled Press Secretary James Brady.  Hinckley was arrested immediately.

One year later, Hinckley’s very public trial began with his arraignment, and Al Betz was seated just five feet away from the Defendant.  Although it was early in his career, Al had already developed the emotional control required of a court reporter in stressful courtroom situations such as this one: he had accumulated the skills required to perform flawlessly under pressure and he possessed the professional maturity needed to respond to the demands of the Court, Counsel, and the Media.  Al’s role was relatively brief, but because of the highly visible nature of the proceeding, the eyes of the world were on him as part of the small ensemble of performers playing out their roles in an intensely charged courtroom scene.  After seven weeks of testimony and three days of deliberation, the jury found Hinckley not guilty by reason of insanity on all 13 charges.

What does this story mean to you and your firm?

Being asked to preserve the record for this historic proceeding illustrates the degree of confidence, respect, and trust the court system has in Al Betz & Associates, Inc.  Under Al’s leadership, the court reporting staff of his company understands his simple philosophy of making the record:  It is our job to fight for every word.