Accused killer Luigi Mangione’s murder trial: Judge to address evidence, jury disputes
Ken Belkin, a seasoned criminal defense lawyer, delves into the intricacies of Luigi Mangione’s murder trial unfolding in Manhattan. A judge is poised to tackle pivotal disagreements concerning evidence and the selection of jurors. Belkin highlights the possibility of a mental health defense, ongoing delays in the discovery process leading up to the September trial, and the risk of jury nullification amid the politically charged atmosphere of New York City.
The political director for Janeese Lewis George, a Democratic socialist running for mayor in Washington, has publicly advocated for the release and pardon of the accused, Luigi Mangione. This stance was made known on her Threads account.
Since Mangione’s arrest, he has garnered considerable backing, including over $1.5 million in donations aimed at bolstering his robust legal defense team.
Makia Green, who identifies as George’s political director, expressed her views in a post on the app in May. Following the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, she urged for the suspected perpetrator, Mangione, to be freed.
In the days after UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s assassination, she called for his suspected killer Mangione to be released.
Makia Green, left, called for the release of suspected CEO assassin Luigi Mangione days after his arrest in the murder of Brian Thompson. (@workitkiki/Threads)
“Comment when you see this,” she wrote. “#FreeLuigi and pardon the youth!”
Her video garnered no replies. The New York Post unearthed it earlier.
In another video, she also complained about UnitedHealthcare, claiming she was a customer and that the insurer had assigned her a primary care physician she couldn’t find.
Most plans allow customers to pick their own PCP.
Left: Luigi Mangione appears at an evidence suppression hearing at the Manhattan Supreme Court in New York City, U.S., May 18, 2026. Right: Maki Green in a June 1 selfie wearing a Janeese Lewis George for mayor campaign pin (REUTERS/Jeenah Moon/Pool, @workitkiki/Threads)
Her Instagram bio includes a link to an Act Blue fundraiser for the Lewis George campaign, but her profile itself was private when viewed Tuesday.
Lewis George’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, is shown in an undated portrait provided by UnitedHealth. He was shot and killed on his way to an investor conference in New York City in what prosecutors described as a politically motivated assassination. (AP Photo/UnitedHealth Group via AP)
In 2020, the candidate ran for the city council, vowing to “cut police” in her ward. She’s also called for “free abortion care,” packing the Supreme Court and removing Justice Clarence Thomas.
Her positions have garnered her comparisons to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a fellow Democratic socialist who was recently embroiled in a Mangione-related scandal of his own after a group of outspoken supporters obtained city-granted press passes.
He later said they should not have been able to get them.
Lena Weissbrot, a Luigi Mangione supporter and credentialed independent journalist, is pictured outside Manhattan Criminal Court on May 18, 2026. (Molly Crane-Newman/Getty Images)
Mamdani, however, does not appear on the section of her campaign site touting endorsements from fellow politicians, unions and other groups.
Mangione is accused of stalking Thompson and shooting him in the back outside a Manhattan Hilton hotel, then fleeing to Altoona, Pennsylvania, where he was arrested while eating a McDonald’s breakfast.
Luigi Mangione shouts as officers restrain him while arriving for his extradition hearing at Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg, Pa., on Dec. 10, 2024. Mangione was charged in the shooting death of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. (David Dee Delgado for News Media)
The accused assassin was due in a New York court Tuesday morning in connection with the case, but his hearing was postponed by a day due to a mix-up.
He is expected to go to trial on Sept. 8 on state charges, which carry a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted.
A separate federal trial is slated to kick off early next year.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all charges.