In a surprising turn of events, Luigi Mangione made a dramatic statement in a New York courtroom on Friday, February 6, which has been swiftly dismissed by legal experts across the US.
Mangione faces charges related to the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, who was fatally shot while departing from the Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan on December 4, 2024.
His arrest occurred at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after an alert employee tipped off the authorities.
Mangione has been charged with 11 state criminal counts in New York, including first-degree murder and murder as a crime of terrorism, though the latter charge has been dismissed.
In addition, he faces federal charges for using a firearm in a murder and interstate stalking resulting in death.
Although he avoided the death penalty, US District Judge Margaret Garnett has dismissed a federal murder charge against the 27-year-old due to technical deficiencies.
Mangione maintains his innocence regarding both state and federal charges and potentially faces a life sentence if convicted.
A New York state judge ruled on Friday that Mangione’s state murder trial would precede his federal court appearance.
The state trial is scheduled for June 8 this year, with the federal trial set to follow in September.
Mangione’s defense argues that prioritizing the state trial aims to circumvent New York’s double jeopardy law, which prohibits a suspect from being tried twice for the same offense.
“It’s the same trial twice,” Mangione shouted in the courtroom as he was escorted out in handcuffs. “One plus one equals two. Double jeopardy by any common sense definition.”
Lawyers consulted by Rolling Stone after Mangione’s outburst clarified that double jeopardy does not apply until a suspect has been convicted or acquitted.
The publication notes that if a guilty verdict is reached in one trial, the defendant could argue double jeopardy to have the second indictment dismissed.
Mangione’s attorney, Karen Friedman, commented on the court’s decision, stating: “All I will say is double jeopardy is meant to protect people and they’re using it as a weapon here, so it’s unfair.”
She further expressed: “Mr. Mangione is being put in an untenable situation. This is a tug-of-war between two different prosecution offices. The defense will not be ready on June 8.”
Mangione is not due back in court until May, at which point a decision regarding the defense’s request to exclude certain pieces of evidence is expected. Prosecutors claim this evidence ties Mangione to Thompson’s murder.
The evidence includes a 9 mm handgun, which prosecutors assert matches the description of the weapon used in the December 2024 killing of Thompson.