Luigi Mangione has made a direct appeal to the U.S. government regarding the potential for the de*th penalty in his murder trial. Although his federal hearing was delayed this week, Mangione has raised a significant issue ahead of the weekend.
The 26-year-old has requested that a federal judge block the government from pursuing the de*th penalty if he is convicted. Mangione is accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in broad daylight on a Manhattan street last December. He was apprehended several days later, with the murder weapon found in his possession. Facing both state and federal charges, Mangione’s federal charges carry the possibility of the death penalty. His defense team contends that the Justice Department violated established procedures. “When the United States plans to execute one of its citizens, it must adhere to legal protocols,” said Mangione’s lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, according to reports. “Mangione is seeking the Court’s intervention not just because the Government has failed to follow these procedures, but because they have disregarded them entirely.”
Mangione’s next court appearance is scheduled for April 18, with a state hearing set for June. While he has not yet pleaded to the state charges, he has pleaded not guilty to the federal ones. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York declined to comment.
