Mangione protests as US judge sets state trial for June
Luigi Mangione spoke in court against the possibility of back-to-back lawsuits over the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, telling the judge: “It’s the same case twice. One plus one equals two. Double jeopardy by any common-sense definition.”
Mangione, 27, made the remarks as court officers escorted him out of the courtroom after a judge scheduled jury selection in the federal trial of the state murder trial to begin June 8, three months before.
After a lengthy discussion with prosecutors and defense attorneys on the bench, Judge Gregory Carro made his decision matter-of-factly, saying the state trial could be postponed until Sept. 8 if the appeal delays the federal trial.
Mangione’s attorneys objected to the June trial date, telling Carro they would be busy at that time preparing for the federal trial involving allegations that Mangione stalked Thompson before killing him.
“Mr. Mangione is being placed in an untenable situation,” said defense attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo.
“This is a conflict between two different prosecutors’ offices.”
“The defense will not be ready on June 8,” he added.
“Get ready,” Carro replied.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges, both of which carry penalties of life in prison.
Last week, the judge in the federal case ruled that prosecutors could not seek the death penalty.
Wearing a tan prison garb, Mangione sat silently at the defense table until he exploded at the end of the hearing.
Jury selection in the federal case is scheduled for Sept. 8, followed by opening statements and depositions on Oct. 13.
As the trial schedule began to take shape, Manhattan prosecutors last month urged Carro to set a July trial date in the state case.
Deputy District Attorney Joel Seidemann asked Carro in a letter to start the New York trial on July 1, arguing that “the state’s interests would be unfairly prejudiced by an unnecessary delay” until after the federal trial.
“The federal government appears to have reneged on its agreement to let the state, which has done most of the work in this case, do the first work,” Carro said Friday. he said.
Mangione is not expected to go to trial again in the state case until May, when Carro is expected to rule on a defense request to exclude some evidence that prosecutors say ties Mangione to the murder.
Those items include a 9mm handgun that prosecutors say matches the gun used to kill Thompson and a notebook that they say describes his intention to “attack” a health insurance executive.
Last week, the judge in the federal case, Margaret Garnett, ruled that prosecutors could use the items at this trial.
In September, Carro withdrew the state terrorism charges but withheld the remainder of the case, including the premeditated murder charge.
When Mangione was arrested, federal prosecutors said they expected the state case to go to trial first.
Under New York law, the district attorney’s office could be barred from prosecuting Mangione on state murder charges if his federal trial occurs sooner.
The state’s double jeopardy protection kicks in when a jury has been sworn in in a prior proceeding, such as a federal case, or if that prosecution results in guilty pleas.
Thompson, 50, was killed on Dec. 4, 2024, while walking to a hotel in midtown Manhattan for UnitedHealth Group’s annual investor conference.
In the footage captured on the security camera, a masked attacker is seen shooting him from behind.
Police said the words “delay,” “deny” and “declare” on the ammunition mimicked wording used to describe how insurance companies avoid paying for damages.
Mangione, a University of Pennsylvania graduate from a wealthy Maryland family, was arrested five days later at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 370 km west of Manhattan.
