A federal judge in New York on Friday ruled that Luigi Mangione will not face the death penalty for the alleged murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024. U.S. District Judge Margaret M. Garnett dismissed two of the four federal counts against Mangione -- murder through use of a firearm, which carries a potential death sentence, and a related firearms offense.
She left in place two federal stalking counts, which carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Garnett ruled that the murder charge was technically flawed and can be used only in tandem with a "crime of violence." She disagreed with the prosecution's assertion that the alleged stalking of Thompson met that standard.
"The analysis contained in the balance of this opinion may strike the average person -- and indeed many lawyers and judges -- as tortured and strange, and the result may seem contrary to our intuitions about the criminal law," Garnett wrote in her ruling. "But it represents the court's committed effort to faithfully apply the dictates of the Supreme Court to the charges in this case."
Both sides of the case were quick to react to the ruling. "We're all very relieved," Karen Friedman Agnifilo, one of Mangione's attorneys, told reporters. U.S. Attorney Pam Bondi previously called Thompson's murder "a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America" when she directed the Justice Department to seek the death penalty. An assistant U.S. attorney who was in court on Friday was unsure whether the agency will appeal the ruling. Garnett requested an update by February 27.
The judge also ruled that key evidence recovered from Mangione's backpack at the time of his arrest may be presented in his trial, despite objections by the defense. Mangione still faces a second-degree murder count and other charges in a separate case in New York state, where the death penalty is unconstitutional. If convicted of the highest charges in the state case, Mangione could face a sentence of 25 years to life. Last fall, the judge in his New York state case dismissed two terror-related murder charges.
Jury selection in the federal trial is scheduled for September 8, followed by opening statements on October 13. Although the Manhattan District Attorney's office is asking for the state trial to begin in July, Mangione's attorney said the defense will need the time to prepare for the federal trial.
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