‘They stole the state’s thunder’: Lawyer says as Luigi Mangione’s plea could stall New York case
BALTIMORE —
Towson native Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty on Friday to federal stalking charges related to the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Baltimore attorney Steven Silverman said the federal guilty plea could be a tremendously strategic move by Mangione’s defense, giving the defense a chance to fight the state case on double jeopardy grounds.
The managing partner at Silverman Thompson said New York’s double jeopardy laws are different from other states, giving defendants a wider shield against prosecutions related to the same offense.
“Instead of begging two judges not to put him in jail for the rest of his life, they gave themselves an opportunity to only convince one judge,” Silverman said.
He told WBAL-TV 11 News that Mangione’s legal team can argue the state case cannot proceed because the federal plea is rooted on the admission that Mangione shot Thompson on a New York City street.
“So he could conceivably see the light of day, where at the beginning of all this it looked like he didn’t have any hope to see the light of day,” Silverman added.
The state trial against Mangione was initially set for Sep. 8, with a federal trial set for October. However, Friday’s guilty plea could potentially kick in New York’s double jeopardy protections.
“I think everyone understands how the game is played and I think the feds are probably not politically aligned with the Manhattan DA’s office, so I think there’s a little bit of rivalry there,” Silverman said. “The feds stole the state’s thunder, so to speak.”
Video below: Lawyer explains Luigi Mangione’s plea deal and its implications
A state judge will have to decide whether the double jeopardy protections would bar the state prosecution of Mangione.
He is charged with second-degree murder, possession of a forged instrument, and six weapons charges related to the fatal shooting of Thompson in December 2024.
Outside federal court, lawyers for Mangione said they had filed a motion arguing that the state charges should be dismissed.