NEW YORK — Luigi Mangione pleaded not responsible in a New York courtroom Monday to state expenses within the homicide of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson earlier this month outdoors a Manhattan resort.
His subsequent court docket look was set for Feb. 21.
State prosecutors allege Mangione was present in possession of what’s believed to be the homicide weapon, and surveillance movies present a person matching his description earlier than and after the assault, together with outdoors the Hilton the place Thompson was shot within the again.
A key distinction between the state and federal expenses is that the state argues the taking pictures was an act of terrorism. Moreover, the federal expenses open the potential for the demise penalty.
Mangione, 26, is being held on the Metropolitan Detention Heart in Brooklyn after he appeared in federal court docket final week.
What occurred throughout Luigi Mangione’s court docket look
Mangione entered court docket together with his fingers and ft shackled. He was carrying a maroon sweater over a white collared shirt and khaki pants.
Seth Wenig / AP
Mangione leaned ahead and mentioned “not responsible” right into a microphone when the decide requested him to enter his plea.
He spoke quietly and extensively together with his attorneys throughout his transient court docket look. HIs fingers had been unshackled lengthy sufficient for him to signal some papers.
In court docket, Mangione’s legal professional Karen Friedman Agnifilo requested instant, expedited discovery within the case, which the decide agreed with. Prosecutors mentioned the quantity of discovery materials is voluminous, together with 1000’s of hour of surveillance video.
Friedman Agnifilo mentioned Mangione is going through two proceedings, one in every of them with the potential for the demise penalty, and she or he instructed the court docket she’s “very involved” about Mangione’s capability to get a good trial, saying statements made by authorities officers are prejudicial.
She mentioned Mangione is being handled like a “human ping pong ball,” bouncing between state and federal jurisdiction, and so they have completely different theories of their instances.
Friedman Agnifilo instructed the court docket authorities are making a spectacle of him, and she or he chided Mayor Eric Adams for his statements associated to Mangione’s arrest when he was extradited to New York Metropolis, saying Mangione is entitled to the presumption of innocence, too. She mentioned Adams was chatting with future potential jurors, and he is calling him a terrorist.
Among the many lengthy line of reporters who had been ready to get into the courtroom Monday morning, there have been additionally members of the general public – nearly all of them younger girls – a couple of of whom instructed CBS Information New York’s Ali Bauman they had been there to help Mangione. Outdoors the courthouse, CBS Information New York’s Lisa Rozner reported there have been about two dozen folks gathered to point out help for Mangione.
As Mangione left court docket, among the girls in attendance gave him a thumbs up.
Mangione going through each state and federal expenses
Mangione was flanked by closely armed guards as he was extradited from Pennsylvania to New York final Thursday. He then appeared in federal court docket on stalking and homicide expenses.
In a press release, his legal professional Friedman Agnifilo known as the federal expenses “extremely uncommon,” saying they elevate “critical constitutional and statutory double jeopardy considerations.”
The federal grievance revealed Mangione was discovered with a pocket book containing handwritten pages that “specific hostility in direction of the medical health insurance business and rich executives specifically.”
Manhattan District Lawyer Alvin Bragg says his workplace is working with the federal authorities and, whereas the instances are taking place concurrently, the trials must occur at completely different occasions. Appearing U.S. Lawyer Edward Kim mentioned he expects the state case to proceed first.
