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OAN Staff Blake Wolf
5:55 PM – Monday, December 23, 2024
Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the high profile murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, shockingly pleaded not guilty to murder charges in a New York state court on Monday.
Mangione is currently facing life in prison on state murder and terror charges, with the hearing marking the first time he has formally been able to address the incident.
The 26-year-old pleaded not guilty to 11 counts in a New York court, including first degree murder, two counts of murder in the second degree, and weapon and forgery charges.
Mangione’s charges follow after he purportedly tracked, stalked, and walked up behind Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan on December 4th, fatally shooting with a “ghost gun” before fleeing the state.
Meanwhile, Mangione’s attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, has argued that her client is being used as “political fodder” by the mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, and the NYPD.
“I am very concerned about my client’s right to a fair trial in this case. He is being prejudiced by some statements made by public officials,” stated Agnifilo, calling out Mayor Eric Adams. “He is a young man, and he is being treated like a human ping pong ball by two warring jurisdictions here. They’re treating him like a human spectacle.”
“There’s a wealth of case law guaranteeing his right to a fair trial. But none of the safeguards have been put in place yet here. In fact, that’s just the opposite of what’s been happening,” she continued.
Agnifilo also criticized Mangione’s extradition back to Manhattan to face the charges, calling the considerable display of force “the biggest staged perp walk I have seen in my career.”
“What was the New York City mayor doing at this press conference – that is utterly political,” she continued, referencing Adams’ appearance at the extradition press conference before referring to Adams’s ongoing case. “The New York City mayor should know more than anyone the presumption of innocence.”
Nevertheless, prosecutors also stated that they would do everything possible to expedite the information discovery process.
“I have never seen a case with some volume of evidence, aside from the issue of the quality of evidence,” stated prosecutor Joel Seidemann during the hearing. “This is not a usual case in terms of the thousands of hours of video.”
Judge Gregory Carro attempted to calm Agnifilo’s concerns during the hearing, maintaining that Mangione’s trial would be fair, assuring that “we will carefully select a jury.”
Meanwhile, protestors outside of the courthouse loudly issued their support for Mangione, who has become a symbol of resistance for some looking to push back against the “private, for-profit healthcare system.”
Protesters could be heard shouting “healthcare is a human right!” while waiving posters that read “People Over Profit” during the hearing.
Mangione could face the death penalty if found guilty of the federal murder charge, with his next court date set for February 21st. He is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, which is the same detention center holding Sean “Diddy” Combs.
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