Judge denies Hinckley request for longer unsupervised visits News
Judge denies Hinckley request for longer unsupervised visits

[JURIST] US District Judge Paul L. Friedman Wednesday denied a request by John Hinckley Jr. to spend more time away from St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington DC to visit his parents in Williamsburg, VA. Hinckley shot President Reagan and three others in 1981 and was acquitted after trial in 1982 by reason of insanity. Lawyers for Hinckley argued that his mental illness has been in remission for over ten years, therefore he is seeking more freedom. Government attorneys have opposed this and all of Hinckley's requests for unsupervised visits, but Hinckley has gradually won permission to leave hospital grounds, most recently for short, unsupervised visits with his parents which are monitored by Secret Service agents. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Laws of Burgos put into effect

The Spanish Crown put the Laws of Burgos into effect on December 27, 1512. These laws governed the relationship of Spanish settlers with the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. The laws established the encomienda system of labor, promoted conversion to Catholicism, and safeguarded the indigenous peoples from physical abuse.  However, historians argue that the laws were ineffective at protecting the rights of the indigenous population. Learn more from the Library of Congress.

Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public bar smashing

On December 27, 1900, militant Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public smashing of a bar, at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, Kansas. Nation argued that destroying bars was an acceptable means of battling the liquor trade since the Kansas Constitution prohibited alcohol. Learn more about Carrie Nation.

World Bank created

On December 27, 1944, the World Bank was created during the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA. Learn more about the history of the World Bank.