New York (AFP) – The state trial of Luigi Mangione, accused of gunning down a US health insurance executive in New York, will begin on June 8, local media reported on Friday. New York State judge Gregory Carro set the date, ABC News and NBC reported, amid a spat over the scheduling of a separate federal trial linked to the killing of Brian Thompson, which is slated to begin September 8.
Leaving the courtroom, Mangione reportedly had an outburst over “double jeopardy” in an apparent reference to the back-to-back trials. His lawyers earlier complained of a “tug-of-war” between state and federal prosecutors. “It’s the same trial twice. One plus one is two,” said Mangione, 27, according to US media. Defendants in the United States can be tried at both the state and federal level for the same crime, though the charges tend to differ — as they do in Mangione’s case.
The December 2024 murder of UnitedHealthcare executive Thompson, captured on surveillance video, shocked the United States and highlighted deep public anger with the country’s profit-driven private health care system. Mangione was arrested five days after the killing at a McDonald’s restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, 230 miles (370 kilometers) from the crime scene, following a tip from a staff member.
At the state level, he is charged with murder and could face life imprisonment without parole if convicted. The federal case carries the same potential punishment after a US judge barred prosecutors in late January from seeking the death penalty against Mangione. Judge Margaret Garnett dismissed two federal charges of murder and using a gun with a silencer, which are eligible for capital punishment. He still faces two counts of stalking.
Garnett also dealt the defense a significant blow in January by rejecting their efforts to block the use of evidence found during Mangione’s arrest. Officers who arrived at the McDonald’s searched Mangione’s backpack, finding inside a handgun, a silencer, a magazine with bullets wrapped in underwear, and a red notebook described as a “manifesto.” The defense had argued that proper protocol had not been followed during the search.
Mangione — who has an avid fan base of mostly women who often attend his hearings — has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
© 2024 AFP
