John Hinckley Jr., President Reagan's Shooter, Is Released

President Reagan's attempted assassin will be a free man again after a federal judge signed off on John Hinckley Jr.'s release from a psychiatric hospital.

Hinckley was found not guilty by insanity for the the 1981 shooting that left Reagan with a chest injury. His press secretary, James Brady, was paralyzed ... a Secret Service agent, and a cop were also hit.

Hinckley has been in a psychiatric hospital since his trial. Wednesday morning Judge Paul Friedman said it was a difficult decision, but "The court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that Mr. Hinckley presents no danger to himself or to others in the reasonable future if released."

He must continue treatment and have no contact with the Reagan family or Jodie Foster ... with whom he was infatuated when he pulled the trigger.