Pretrial suppression hearings are set to take place Monday in the New York state case against Luigi Mangione.
Mangione, 27, is accused in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last December. He has pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges.
Tuesday, Mangione’s defense filed a pretrial motion. They renewed their request to have Mangione unshackled at the defense table, with at least one hand free so he can write. Last month, a judge ruled Mangione would be allowed to wear civilian clothes in court.
Mangione’s defense is also arguing that certain evidence should not be allowed at trial, such as a notebook found in his backpack, because they claim it was searched without a warrant and without him being read his rights, in violation of his 4th Amendment rights.
Mangione’s defense team don’t want prosecutors to introduce it into evidence, arguing making his writings public would prejudice Mangione at his trials, since potential jurors could hear about it.
Mangione also faces a federal trial in which he could face the death penalty. He’s due back in court on that matter on Jan. 9.
Federal prosecutors have argued the search of his backpack was justified to ensure there were no dangerous items in it.
Mangione’s defense team has pushed for charges in that case to be dismissed and for the judge to rule out the death penalty. Back in September, state terrorism charges against Mangione were thrown out.
Mangione also faces charges in Pennsylvania, where he was caught and arrested. That case, however, is effectively on hold because Mangione has refused to appear in Pennsylvania court remotely while he’s being held in custody in New York.
Thompson, 50, was fatally shot in the back in the street on Dec. 4, 2024 while on his way to attend a UnitedHealthcare investor conference in Manhattan. Investigators revealed that the words “delay” and “deny” were written on shell casings found at the scene. Those words appear to be critical of the healthcare industry.