The man accused of assassinating a major health care executive lashed out in a New York courtroom Friday after a judge moved forward with a state murder trial set for early summer, despite the fact that he is also facing a separate federal case.
Luigi Mangione, who has been charged in connection with the December 4, 2024, killing of Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, reacted angrily as he was escorted out of court after Manhattan state Judge Gregory Carro set a June 8 start date for his state trial.
Mangione, who has pleaded not guilty to all state and federal charges, complained that moving forward with the state case amounts to being tried twice for the same alleged crime. According to Fox 5 New York, he shouted that the situation amounted to “double jeopardy by any common sense definition,” arguing that the state and federal cases were effectively the same trial being run twice.
The outburst came after Mangione was unexpectedly ordered back into court Friday, even though his next scheduled appearance was not until May. His defense team objected strongly to the June 8 date, pointing out that they would simultaneously be preparing for the federal case.
Defense attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo said the overlapping timelines put Mangione in an impossible position, describing the situation as a tug-of-war between two separate prosecution offices. She warned that the defense would not be ready to proceed on June 8. Judge Carro was unmoved, responding simply, “Be ready.”
Under the current schedule, jury selection in Mangione’s federal trial is set to begin on September 8, with opening statements slated for October 13. In a notable development last week, the judge overseeing the federal case dropped a murder charge that had carried the possibility of the death penalty.
That federal case has already produced a surprising legal twist. U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett agreed with Mangione’s defense that stalking does not qualify as a “crime of violence.” While acknowledging the ruling was unusual, she reasoned that violence is legally defined by the use of force, and stalking could technically be committed without force, according to ABC News.
State prosecutors pushed back hard against delaying their case. Assistant Manhattan District Attorney Joel Seidemann argued that the state’s interests would be harmed by waiting for the federal trial to conclude. He also told the court that Thompson’s family wants the state trial to proceed first. Beginning at the state level, prosecutors argued, would also help avoid potential double jeopardy issues, since New York law could bar a state trial if the federal case goes first.
Judge Carro appeared to side with state prosecutors, saying it looked as though the federal government had gone back on an earlier understanding that the state — which he said had done most of the work — would take the lead.
Looking ahead, Carro is expected to rule in May on whether prosecutors can use evidence seized during Mangione’s arrest in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Investigators say Mangione was found with a 9 mm handgun allegedly linked to the crime scene, along with a notebook in which he allegedly discussed plans to kill Thompson.
With trial dates now set on two fronts, Mangione’s legal battles are only intensifying as prosecutors race to move first.