Luigi Mangione, the person charged with murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, is again in court docket Monday for pretrial hearings about which proof will probably be allowed in his upcoming trial in New York Metropolis.
Mangione has pleaded not responsible to 9 state fees, together with homicide, in addition to different federal fees that carry the opportunity of the loss of life penalty. Again in September, a decide dropped two different state terrorism fees in opposition to him.
The 27-year-old’s protection attorneys are arguing that sure proof must be excluded from trial due to how they are saying it was obtained.
Prosecutors with the Manhattan’s district legal professional’s workplace have denied the protection’s accusations, however the decide referred to as for a sequence of suppression hearings to go over the considerations.
The hearings are anticipated to final a number of days, probably all week. His trial date has not but been set.
A glance contained in the courtroom
Luigi Mangione sits within the Manhattan Supreme Court docket throughout an evidentiary listening to within the homicide case of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, in New York, on December 1, 2025.
Yuki Iwamura / POOL /AFP through Getty Photos
Mangione walked into court docket carrying a grey swimsuit with a patterned button down shirt. He appeared to elevate his eyebrows to acknowledge the court docket officers and his attorneys, however he didn’t have a look at the gallery. Per his attorneys’ request, his restraints had been eliminated earlier than he sat down, so he can take notes.
His attorneys had additionally requested he be allowed to put on civilian clothes throughout these hearings, fairly than the tan jail clothes from his final court docket look. The decide granted him two fits, three shirts, three sweaters, three pairs of pants, 5 pairs of socks and one pair of sneakers with out laces that may be worn whereas he’s being transported from the Metropolitan Detention Middle in Brooklyn.
Contained in the courtroom, there look like roughly eight rows of journalists and three rows of the general public, together with some carrying shirts with Mangione’s title or picture and the colour inexperienced.
The listening to was anticipated to start round 10 a.m. however it bought off to a late begin round 11 a.m.
Surveillance photographs present an individual who police stated they wished to query in connection to the deadly taking pictures of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson exterior a lodge in Midtown Manhattan.
NYPD
The primary witness referred to as to the stand was NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Public Data Sgt. Chris McLaughlin, who was requested to evaluation surveillance pictures obtained within the hours and days after the taking pictures, together with what seems to be a photograph of Mangione standing on the counter of a Starbucks carrying a grey backpack and facemask together with his nostril displaying, two photographs of him inside an Higher West Facet hostel with out a facemask, and a Fb publish displaying a person on a bicycle and a person with a gun.
Mangione’s attorneys objected to the relevance of the witness. Whereas the photographs had been displayed, he was seen taking notes and leaning over to talk together with his legal professionals.
The prosecution additionally performed the video of the second Thompson was shot almost a yr in the past, however stopped it earlier than he fell to the bottom.
The second witness referred to as labored for the corporate that dealt with the safety cameras on the McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, the place Mangione was taken into custody days after the taking pictures.
Right here’s what Mangione’s attorneys are arguing
Mangione’s protection says statements he made to legislation enforcement must be suppressed, as a result of they declare officers failed to supply Miranda warnings, which is when a suspect is knowledgeable of their constitutional rights.
The protection additionally says proof seized on the time of his arrest on the McDonald’s in Pennsylvania shouldn’t be allowed, as a result of they declare legislation enforcement did a warrantless search of his backpack after he was handcuffed and surrounded by officers. Among the many objects contained in the backpack had been a gun with a 3D printed receiver, ammunition and a pink pocket book he allegedly used as his diary.
Protection attorneys don’t need the pocket book entries or different writings put into proof at these pretrial hearings, claiming they’ll prejudice Mangione if they’re made public and potential jurors hear about it.
Lastly, the protection can be arguing in opposition to non-eyewitness identification testimony at trial, which means somebody who was not a witness to an alleged crime who makes an identification from an image or video.
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