Terrorism charges against Luigi Mangione tossed, but murder count stands
Share this @internewscast.com

A judge in New York has thrown out terrorism charges against Luigi Mangione in relation to the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. However, the judge maintained the second-degree murder charges against Mangione, an Ivy League graduate.

Despite Mangione’s legal team arguing that facing both the state charges and a federal death penalty case constituted double jeopardy, Judge Gregory Carro dismissed this claim, indicating it was too early to decide on such grounds.

This marks Mangione’s first court hearing in the state case since February. The 27-year-old has garnered a following as a symbol of discontentment with the health insurance sector. At his previous court appearance, many supporters donned green, reminiscent of the video game character Luigi, to express their solidarity. His federal arraignment in April witnessed similar support.

Judge Carro’s decision articulated that while the murder was far from typical street violence, New York statutes do not label an act as terrorism solely due to ideological motivation.

“Though the defendant clearly held a strong resentment towards UHC and the healthcare sector, it does not necessarily imply he aimed to ‘intimidate and coerce a civilian population,’ and no such evidence was provided,” Carro stated in his ruling.

Carro scheduled pretrial hearings in the case for Dec. 1, which is days before Mangione is next due in court in the federal case against him.

Mangione has pled not guilty to multiple murder charges, including the accusation of committing murder as an act of terrorism in the December 4, 2024, incident. Surveillance footage captured an armed, masked individual shooting Thompson from behind when he arrived at a New York Hilton Midtown investor conference. Authorities noted the words “delay,” “deny,” and “depose” inscribed on the bullets, reflecting phrases often attributed to insurance companies evading claims.

Mangione was arrested five days later after he was spotted eating breakfast at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 230 miles (about 370 kilometers) west of New York City. Since then, he has been held at the same Brooklyn federal jail where Sean “Diddy” Combs is locked up.

The Manhattan district attorney’s office contends that there are no double jeopardy issues because neither of Mangione’s cases has gone to trial and because the state and federal prosecutions involve different legal theories.

Mangione’s lawyers say the dueling cases have created a “legal quagmire” that makes it “legally and logistically impossible to defend against them simultaneously.”

The state charges, which carry a maximum of life in prison, allege that Mangione wanted to “intimidate or coerce a civilian population,” that is, insurance employees and investors. The federal charges allege that Mangione stalked Thompson and do not involve terrorism allegations.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced in April that she was directing federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty for “an act of political violence” and a “premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.”

The Manhattan district attorney’s office quoted extensively from Mangione’s handwritten diary in a court filing seeking to uphold his state murder charges. They highlighted his desire to kill an insurance honcho and his praise for Ted Kaczynski, the late terrorist known as the Unabomber.

In the writings, prosecutors said, Mangione mused about rebelling against “the deadly, greed fueled health insurance cartel” and said killing an industry executive “conveys a greedy bastard that had it coming.” They also cited a confession they say he penned “To the feds,” in which he wrote that “it had to be done.”

Mangione’s “intentions were obvious from his acts, but his writings serve to make those intentions explicit,” prosecutors said in the June filing. The writings, which they sometimes described as a manifesto, “convey one clear message: that the murder of Brian Thompson was intended to bring about revolutionary change to the healthcare industry.”

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Leaf-peeping season hampered by drought: Fall foliage dropping sooner, showing less color

Drought Shortens Leaf-Peeping Season: Fall Foliage Fades Faster and Loses Vibrancy

Leaf-peeping season has begun in the Northeast and beyond, but this year’s…
Jacksonville teens arrested in furniture store crash

Teens in Jacksonville Arrested Following Crash into Furniture Store

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office says that the three are facing a felony…
Federal judge fines, reprimands lawyer who used AI to draft court filings

Federal Judge Fines and Rebukes Lawyer for Using AI to Prepare Legal Documents

An Alabama federal judge has penalized and admonished an attorney for using…
Family says off-duty Milwaukee officer acted appropriately in fatal shooting caught on dashcam video

Family Claims Off-Duty Milwaukee Officer’s Actions in Fatal Shooting on Dashcam Were Justified

The family of 26-year-old Elijah Wilks expressed on Thursday that they think…
Navy mother fears losing child care

Navy Mom Concerns Over Child Care Availability

Bloom Behavioral Solutions has become a lifeline for Mia Schwenk’s 4-year-old son…
Bryan Kohberger took plea deal days after prosecutors listed his sister as potential witness

Bryan Kohberger Accepts Plea Deal Following Prosecution’s Inclusion of Sister as Potential Witness

Just a few days after Amanda Kohberger was unexpectedly added to the…
Woman, 23, dies after ‘devastating’ freak accident at Utah music festival, family says

23-Year-Old Woman Tragically Passes Away Following Unfortunate Accident at Utah Music Festival, Family Reports

A 23-year-old woman has passed away due to a head injury sustained…
Mississippi homecoming football game shooting: 4 suspects arrested after 6 dead, 20 injured

Four Arrested in Mississippi Homecoming Football Game Shooting: 6 Killed, 20 Injured

Four individuals have been taken into custody in relation to a mass…

Israeli Military Breaks Gaza Ceasefire with New Attacks, Civilians Reported Dead

Israeli forces killed at least nine Palestinians in Gaza on 14 October,…
Trump giving Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously

Posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom for Charlie Kirk Given by Trump

The nation’s most prestigious civilian accolade, the medal, is awarded by the…
Northside store owner faces loss after car crash fire

Northside Shop Owner Risks Losing Business After Car Crash Fire

A stolen vehicle crashed into Furniture Mattress Depot on Northside, igniting a…
Pritzker Is Finding Out That the Internet Is Forever As Former Police Chief Busts Him for Deceptive Video

Pritzker Learns the Internet’s Eternal Memory After Ex-Police Chief Exposes His Misleading Video

While critics on the left express outrage as Immigration and Customs Enforcement…