Luigi Mangione broke his silence in court Friday as a New York judge tentatively set his state murder trial for June 8, creating tension with a federal case scheduled for later this year.
“One plus one equals two. This is double jeopardy by any common sense judgment,” Mangione declared while leaving the courtroom in handcuffs, marking his first public statement since proceedings began in his case.
The 27-year-old faces multiple charges in connection with the December 2024 fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a Manhattan street. Judge Gregory Carro set the June trial date despite passionate objections from defense attorneys who argued they wouldn’t be ready.
“Luigi Mangione is being put in a terrible position with two different prosecutions,” defense attorney Karen Agnifilo told the court.
Judge Carro was unmoved by these protests, repeatedly interrupting Agnifilo and insisting, “Be ready!” The judge expressed frustration that federal authorities had “reneged on its agreement to allow the state that did most of the work in this case to go first.”
Manhattan District Attorney prosecutor Joel Seidemann argued strongly for the state case to proceed first, stating: “The murder happened in Midtown on our streets, in our city.” He added that Thompson’s family, including his 78-year-old mother, wants justice through the state case proceeding first.
The hearing came just one week after U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett ruled that prosecutors cannot pursue the death penalty against Mangione in his federal case. Garnett also dismissed two of the four federal counts against him, including murder through use of a firearm.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all charges in both state and federal courts. If convicted in the New York state case, he faces the possibility of life in prison.
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