Judge delays Luigi Mangione’s state murder trial after double jeopardy claim
The judge overseeing Luigi Mangione’s state murder trial in New York put the proceedings on hold to allow prosecutors time to respond to Mangione’s efforts to have the case thrown out.
Mangione’s trial on a second-degree murder charge in the 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was scheduled to begin next month, but on Monday, New York state Justice Gregory Carro gave prosecutors until Oct. 9 to respond to a double jeopardy motion Mangione’s attorneys filed Friday.
That filing argued for dismissal of the state charges after Mangione pleaded guilty to federal stalking crimes.
Luigi Mangione at a pretrial hearing at New York State Supreme Court on Aug. 11.David Dee Delgado / Reuters / Bloomberg via Getty Images
In addition to second-degree murder, Mangione is also charged with multiple gun possession counts. He pleaded not guilty.
New York state has a double jeopardy statute that is viewed as friendly to defendants, allowing them to argue for dismissal even if federal and state charges were not the same, legal experts told NBC News.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office declined to comment Monday. In a statement Friday, a spokesperson for the office said it was prepared to litigate the double jeopardy motion and remains “committed to seeking justice for Mr. Thompson and his family.”
A source familiar with the DA office’s discussions told NBC News on Friday that it intended to fight the double jeopardy motion until it sees the sentencing outcome in the federal trial.
Prosecutors have said they will seek a life term. Mangione’s sentencing, which will be determined by a judge, is scheduled for Dec. 18.
Mangione’s attorneys have long argued that he is a victim of double jeopardy. Carro previously said that argument was premature because the federal case had not been resolved.
During Friday’s hearing, Mangione detailed his plan to kill Thompson and admitted that he fatally shot him. Mangione said he was motivated to carry out the killing because of his experience with the healthcare system.
He revealed that in an email to UnitedHealthcare leadership, he posed as an investor who managed over $50 billion in assets. He told the court that he wrote that message in an effort to confirm the location of the investors conference that Thompson was attending on Dec. 4, 2024.
Thompson was gunned down on a Manhattan street outside that conference.
In a statement after the guilty plea, Thompson’s family said they were grateful the federal justice system had held Mangione accountable.
“Now we look to the court to ensure that sentencing reflects the severity of this crime,” they said.
Mangione’s attorneys have until Oct. 30 to respond to prosecutors. His next court date is Dec. 10.