Luigi Mangione appears in court as lawyers ask judge to toss evidence | Brian Thompson shooting
Luigi Mangione appeared in Manhattan state court on Monday for the first day of a potentially week-long trial to consider the legality of evidence collected during his arrest following the murder of a prominent healthcare executive.
Mangione was arrested last December in the murder of United HealthCare’s top official, Brian Thompson. In addition to the state-level charges, he also faces a federal lawsuit in Manhattan.
Thompson’s brutal murder on the streets of New York City triggered an intense manhunt to find the killer, but also sparked an outpouring of anger at the practices of the US’s for-profit healthcare industry. Since his arrest, Mangione has attracted some enthusiastic supporters both online and in court hearings.
Mangione entered the courtroom wearing a slate jacket with a patterned button-down shirt and a white background with reddish stripes forming a checkered pattern. Mangione was handcuffed when he entered the room, but the handcuffs were removed shortly after he sat down.
The accused murderer pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him. Mangione’s appearance comes two months after he won a major legal victory in the state case.
Judge Gregory Carro dismissed two key state charges against him on Sept. 16 — first-degree murder and second-degree murder, which prosecutors allege are both terrorism crimes. Carro said that “the evidence presented is legally insufficient” for terrorism-related charges.
Mangione still faces nine charges in the state case, including second-degree murder. In New York, the penalty for second-degree murder ranges from 25 years to life in prison.
Mangione’s legal team has repeatedly pushed for the exclusion of evidence collected during his arrest at a McDonald’s restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 9, 2024. They claimed that police, who arrived at the fast food restaurant following an anonymous tip, did not immediately inform Mangione of his constitutional rights.
Mangione’s lawyers argued that his statements to police should not have been allowed in court because he was not informed of his rights. They also argue that evidence taken during Mangione’s arrest should be barred, saying they conducted an “unfair search” of his backpack.
more than that two dozen Witnesses will be able to testify at the hearing, which will begin this week, to answer questions about how his arrest took place and how evidence was collected. Potential witnesses include police officers involved in the Mangione case.
Although the number of attendees was smaller than at past hearings and the absence of the date night-style attire that has become a staple among some fans, they were as energetic as ever.
In the women’s restroom, Mangione’s supporters chatted among themselves about the process. One, wearing a green satin sash emblazoned with a Luigi crest, appeared to commiserate with another supporter about not being allowed to wear the prom queen-esque accessory.
Other equipment was simpler. A T-shirt worn by one fan read: “11 minutes of body camera footage missing.”
