Luigi Mangione's trial date set for June, outburst in court as judge tries to navigate dual prosecution.
A June 8 trial date has been set for New York's case against Luigi Mangione, who is accused of the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The announcement came after a tense court hearing where Mangione had an outburst, shouting "same trial twice" and "double jeopardy by any common sense definition".
The outburst was triggered by Judge Margaret Garnett's decision to set a Sept 8 trial date for the federal trial, with opening statements on Oct 13. However, the federal government may appeal the decision, which could delay the trial. If that happens, Mangione's state trial would proceed on Sept 8 instead.
Mangione is facing charges in both federal and state court for Thompson's murder in 2024. The defense has argued that setting two trials back-to-back is unreasonable, as they need time to prepare for the federal trial. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
In a surprise move, Judge Garnett previously dismissed the federal firearms charges that carried the possibility of the death penalty, leaving only stalking charges in place with a maximum punishment of life in prison without parole. The prosecution is seeking the maximum punishment for those charges.
The defense also argued that evidence taken from Mangione's backpack during his arrest should be suppressed, as it was recovered during a warrantless search. However, police testified that standard procedure would dictate taking property like a backpack and searching it.
A decision on the use of the backpack evidence in Mangione's state trial is expected to come later this year. The case has sparked concerns about double jeopardy, with Mangione and his lawyers arguing that he should not face two trials for essentially the same crime.
A June 8 trial date has been set for New York's case against Luigi Mangione, who is accused of the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The announcement came after a tense court hearing where Mangione had an outburst, shouting "same trial twice" and "double jeopardy by any common sense definition".
The outburst was triggered by Judge Margaret Garnett's decision to set a Sept 8 trial date for the federal trial, with opening statements on Oct 13. However, the federal government may appeal the decision, which could delay the trial. If that happens, Mangione's state trial would proceed on Sept 8 instead.
Mangione is facing charges in both federal and state court for Thompson's murder in 2024. The defense has argued that setting two trials back-to-back is unreasonable, as they need time to prepare for the federal trial. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
In a surprise move, Judge Garnett previously dismissed the federal firearms charges that carried the possibility of the death penalty, leaving only stalking charges in place with a maximum punishment of life in prison without parole. The prosecution is seeking the maximum punishment for those charges.
The defense also argued that evidence taken from Mangione's backpack during his arrest should be suppressed, as it was recovered during a warrantless search. However, police testified that standard procedure would dictate taking property like a backpack and searching it.
A decision on the use of the backpack evidence in Mangione's state trial is expected to come later this year. The case has sparked concerns about double jeopardy, with Mangione and his lawyers arguing that he should not face two trials for essentially the same crime.