Hinckley hearing focuses on whether he has interest in books on assassination

A Secret Service agent who secretly was watching presidential assailant John Hinckley Jr. in a Williamsburg, Virginia bookstore said he got "goose bumps" when he realized Hinckley briefly had looked at a shelf of history books that included some dealing with presidential assassination.

Agent Jason Clickner testified Monday at a federal court hearing on whether Hinckley should be allowed increased visitation time away from a government mental hospital and whether he should eventually be released as a permanent out-patient.

Clickner told the court he was assigned to do covert surveillance of Hinckley on October 16, 2011. Hinckley visited a Barnes and Noble bookstore in Williamsburg, where he travels 10 days each month to visit his mother. During those trips, he is allowed a few hours of free time when he is not accompanied by his mother or anyone else. But testimony has shown the Secret Service frequently is watching.

Clinckner said Hinckley became "momentarily fixated" on a specific shelf of books although he did not stop to pick any up to leaf through.

full: http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/23/us/hinckley-hearing/index.html