(NEW YORK) \u2014 Luigi Mangione should stand trial in State Supreme Court in New York starting July 1, at least three months ahead of when the accused killer could stand trial in federal court, the Manhattan district attorney\u2019s office said in a letter Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges stemming from the assassination-style killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan in December 2024.<\/p>\n
Federal judge Margaret Garnett said Mangione would stand trial in October if she eliminates the death penalty as a possible sentence, as the defense has sought. Otherwise, she said at a hearing last week, Mangione would stand trial in January. Either way, she set jury selection for Sept. 8.<\/p>\n
The Manhattan district attorney\u2019s office said there are \u201csignificant state interests\u201d in putting Mangione on trial sooner.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis heinous crime happened in midtown Manhattan, one of the busiest commercial areas in this County and spread fear and shock throughout Manhattan. New York State unquestionably has a deep interest in, upholding the fundamental right to life, maintaining public order, and delivering justice for a murder committed in its jurisdiction,\u201d assistant district attorney Joel Seidemann wrote.<\/p>\n
\u201cFederal law supports our request that we proceed first and our right to a speedy resolution of this case would be severely compromised should the federal trial proceed first,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Mangione\u2019s defense attorney Karen Agnifilo said she needs more time to prepare for trial and called the DA\u2019s proposed July 1 trial date \u201cunrealistic.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the first that the defense is hearing about this request,\u201d she said in a statement Wednesday. \u201cThe federal government already has a firm trial date set in September. As a practical matter, Mr. Mangione\u2019s defense team will require the remainder of the year to prepare for that trial. We will respond to the Court about this unrealistic request in the coming days.\u201d<\/p>\n
Judge Gregory Carro, the judge for the state case, is weighing a defense request to suppress evidence pulled from Mangione\u2019s backpack, including the alleged murder weapon, a notebook and writings. After a three-week hearing, the judge said he would accept written submissions by March and issue a ruling in May. <\/p>\n
The district attorney\u2019s office told Carro the case is otherwise ready for trial.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is entirely natural then that the state case would proceed to trial prior to the federal case,\u201d Seidemann\u2019s letter said. \u201cAnd, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York has said that it expects the State case to proceed to trial first.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mangione has been held in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since his return to New York from Pennsylvania, where he was arrested at an Altoona McDonald\u2019s following a five-day manhunt. <\/p>\n
Defense attorneys have said police waited too long to read Mangione his rights and unlawfully searched his backpack without a warrant. Prosecutors have argued the Altoona police officers were justified in searching the bag because the search pertained to a lawful arrest.<\/p>\n
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