BLAIR COUNTY, PA — Alleged United HealthCare CEO assassin Luigi Mangione might not resolve the criminal charges facing him in Pennsylvania for quite some time.
Blair County Judge Jackie Bernard ruled on Wednesday that Mangione essentially has forfeited his right to a speedy trial here because of his refusal to conduct hearings via video from New York, where he is currently being held on more serious homicide charges.
Mangione is accused of shooting and killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City last December and then going on the run for days. The multi-state manhunt for him ended when he was identified and apprehended at an Altoona McDonald’s.
Mangione is currently facing firearm, tampering, forgery and false identification charges related to his arrest in Blair County in December. But he is facing more serious homicide charges in New York
City.
Because of the ongoing federal case, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has said it would not release Mangione personally for hearings in Pennsylvania on the charges, but would make him available for video court appearances. Mangione, however, exercised his right to be personally present for criminal hearings here.
“The Court deems the defendant presently unwilling and unavailable to appear remotely based upon the present recorded filings by the defense, making it impossible for this court to convene substantive hearings on any of his pretrial motions or requests at this time,” Bernard’s opinion stated.
Bernard’s ruling also said that because of Mangione’s unavailability, prosecutors no longer have to adhere to a state law requiring criminal case defendants to be brought to trial within 600 days.
Bernard ordered and update on Mangione’s status every 60 days.