Suspected assassin Luigi Mangione erupted in court Friday after a New York judge set his state murder trial for June 8, sparking outrage from the defense and a dramatic outburst from Mangione himself. Mangione faces second-degree murder and other charges tied to the December 4, 2024, assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. He has pleaded not guilty.
Mangione was unexpectedly ordered back to court by Judge Gregory Carro, who advanced the trial date by months. His attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, objected, citing a conflict with preparations for Mangione’s federal trial. Jury selection in that case begins in September. She called the situation a “tug-of-war between two different prosecution offices.”
As officers began to escort him from the courtroom, Mangione shouted, “One plus one equals two. This is the same trial twice. This is double jeopardy by any common sense definition.” His attorney added, “The defense will not be ready on June 8,” to which Judge Carro firmly replied, “Be ready.”
The federal trial recently made headlines after U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett dropped the capital murder charge, ruling that stalking didn’t meet the legal definition of a “crime of violence.” That decision removed the possibility of the death penalty but left other serious charges intact. Prosecutors allege Mangione stalked Thompson before fatally shooting him with a 9 mm handgun.
Assistant District Attorney Joel Seidemann argued that the state trial should proceed first, warning that a delay could allow Mangione to claim double jeopardy protections. He also said Thompson’s family wants the state to move forward without delay. “Our interests would be unfairly prejudiced by an unnecessary delay,” he told the court.
Judge Carro expressed frustration with the Justice Department, suggesting it had backed out of an agreement to let the state go first. “It appears the federal government has reneged on its agreement,” he said. The judge also scheduled a hearing in May to decide whether key evidence seized from Mangione at the time of his arrest in Altoona, Pennsylvania, can be used at trial.
That evidence includes a 9 mm handgun and a notebook allegedly outlining plans to kill Thompson. Judge Garnett has already ruled that the evidence is admissible in the federal trial. The state ruling is still pending, but prosecutors say the items are central to proving motive and premeditation.
With two trials looming and the legal clock ticking, Mangione’s courtroom eruption signaled the high stakes. The outcome of the scheduling fight could shape the prosecution’s entire case strategy and determine which court delivers the first verdict in one of New York’s most high-profile murder cases in years.
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