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Luigi Mangione’s lawyers want the possibility of him receiving the death penalty to be removed after he was accused of killing former UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
While speaking to a judge on September 20, Mangione’s lawyers argued that authorities prejudiced his case by turning his arrest into a “Marvel movie” spectacle, according to CNN. In light of the public interest surrounding the case, the attorneys argued that authorities’ interest in the death penalty is simply playing into the spectacle.
Mangione’s lawyers are fighting to have his federal case dismissed after U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi declared ahead of his April indictment that capital punishment is warranted for a “premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America,” per CNN.
In addition to Bondi’s statements, the attorneys claimed that other officials’ actions – including a highly choreographed perp walk in which Mangione, 27, was walked on a pier by armed officers — “have violated Mr. Mangione’s constitutional and statutory rights and have fatally prejudiced this death penalty case,” his lawyers said in a court filing, according to CNN.
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Mangione’s defense team went on to ask U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett ”to correct the errors made by the government and prevent this case from proceeding as a death penalty prosecution.”
Bondi’s April announcement that she was seeking the death penalty for Mangione marked the first time the Justice Department said it was bringing a capital case after President Donald Trump returned to office in January. After his inauguration, Trump, 79, pledges to revive federal executions.
In light of the timing of the announcement, Mangione’s team said the decision was “based on politics, not merit.” According to CNN, the legal team also believes Bondi’s remarks influenced the grand jury and ultimately led to his indictment.
Federal prosecutors have until October 31 to respond to Mangione’s legal team’s filing, per CNN. He is scheduled to return to court on December 5, which will be just days after the start of pretrial hearings.
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Mangione’s team’s latest filing comes after Judge Gregory Carro dismissed two terror-related murder charges against him during a court hearing in New York City on September 16. His first-degree murder and second-degree murder charges were dropped, though CNN reported that Mangione is still facing a count of murder in the second degree.
The decision was made after Mangione’s defense argued that he shouldn’t be charged with any crimes linked to terrorism because crimes of terrorism in the eyes of New York state legislation refers to attacks on multiple civilians, per CNN.
Due to the state’s definition, the legal team believes Mangione was unfairly charged since he’s only accused of killing Thompson.