Luigi Mangione made a significant appearance today in New York state court located in Manhattan, where he faced pretrial proceedings related to the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson on December 4, 2024. Mangione, who has maintained his not guilty plea to all charges—both state and federal—last appeared in this court back in February.
During today's hearing, Judge Gregory Carro dismissed the terrorism charges against Mangione, citing the evidence presented as “legally insufficient.” Although this ruling provided some relief, Mangione remains under serious scrutiny as he still faces second-degree murder charges in New York. His legal representation, led by attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo, sought to have the entire indictment dismissed based on the ongoing federal case against him, but Carro ruled that claims of double jeopardy were premature. Furthermore, a motion to delay the state case was rejected.
In his ruling, Judge Carro expressed concerns regarding the state prosecutors' emphasis on the phrase “revolutionary anarchism” found in Mangione’s writings. He noted, “Not only does this stretch the import of a two-word phrase beyond what it can carry, but it ignores other, more explicit excerpts from the defendant’s writings in which he states that his goal is to spread a ‘message’ and ‘win public support’ about ‘everything wrong with our health system.’” Consequently, Carro concluded that the prosecution failed to demonstrate an intent to “influence” or “affect” government policies.
Friedman Agnifilo has argued that the multitude of legal cases against Mangione infringes upon the double jeopardy clause. Should the state case proceed, she has also requested that Carro dismiss the terrorism charges and suppress evidence obtained during his arrest at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on December 9. Mangione's legal team contends that this arrest violated his constitutional rights through an illegal search and seizure.
In a striking turn of events, the prosecution, represented by Joel Seidemann, has requested that Mangione’s defense team disclose whether they will present any psychiatric evidence regarding possible “mental disease or defect” as part of an insanity defense. Judge Carro instructed the defense to comply with this request.
Today in court, Mangione was seen in tan prison attire and was shackled, appearing mostly subdued, with his head down and only occasionally engaging with his legal team. Notably absent was a bulletproof vest, which he wore during his previous hearing. As he exited the courtroom, he briefly acknowledged the presence of his supporters, who gathered to show solidarity.
Around two dozen members of the public attended the hearing, with many women wearing green—an emblem of support for Mangione, drawing inspiration from the character Luigi in the popular Nintendo franchise. One attendee, identified as Lena NW, traveled from Los Angeles and camped outside the courthouse to witness the proceedings. She remarked, “The terrorism charges were dropped so I was glad to hear that, but it’s all still very scary and unusual for him to have both New York state and a federal charge against him for the same crime.”
At just 27 years old, Mangione is entangled in multiple legal battles across federal, New York state, and Pennsylvania state courts. One federal charge makes him eligible for the death penalty, prompting his legal team to fight for the federal trial to proceed before the New York state trial.
During a prior appearance in federal court in April, attorney Friedman Agnifilo disclosed that New York State prosecutors had “inadvertently” monitored calls between Mangione and his legal representatives. She has also filed complaints alleging that the state prosecution violated Mangione’s rights under HIPAA, gaining unauthorized access to privileged health information.
Judge Carro has yet to make a judgment on the legality of the Aetna subpoena, but he emphasized that state prosecutors cannot utilize any information retrieved from it. Additionally, Friedman Agnifilo criticized the prosecution for publicizing excerpts from a notebook allegedly used by Mangione to plan Thompson's murder, which was confiscated during his arrest.
As the legal proceedings continue, federal prosecutors have filed motions asserting that Mangione “poses a continuing danger” due to his alleged attempts to influence others. This has raised significant concerns, particularly after a footnote in the prosecution's filings linked Mangione to a recent violent incident involving the NFL's Manhattan office.
Looking ahead, a Pennsylvania court has mandated Mangione's presence for firearms-related charges on November 7, though he is currently held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. His next federal court appearance is scheduled for December 5 in Manhattan.
Correction: A previous version of this article inaccurately stated that Mangione’s New York state trial was expected to commence on December 1; this date marks the beginning of his pretrial hearings.
