Luigi Mangione pleaded not guilty to federal charges in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, while U.S. prosecutors formally announced their intention to seek the death penalty against him.
Mr Mangione, 26, was in court with his lawyers when he made his statement, leaning toward the microphone. US Judge Margaret asked him if he understood the charges, which relate to the pursuit and shooting of Mr Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel last December.
Mangione answered, “yes.” When asked how he would like to plead, he simply said, “not guilty,” and returned to his seat.
The murder indictment against Mangione last December brought a host of people to federal court in Manhattan, including former military intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, who spent nearly seven years in prison for stealing classified diplomatic documents.
Mangione, who has been in federal custody in Brooklyn since his arrest, wore a mustard-colored prison suit to court. He chatted with one of his attorneys, death penalty lawyer Avi Moskowitz, as he waited for the hearing to begin.
Late Thursday, federal prosecutors filed a mandatory notice of intent to seek the death penalty.
It comes weeks after US Attorney General Pam Bondi announced she would direct federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty for what she called “an act of political violence” and “a premeditated, cold-blooded murder that shocked America.”
It was the first time the Justice Department has expressed intent to use the death penalty since President Donald Trump returned to office on Jan. 20, vowing to resume federal executions after the previous administration suspended them.
Mangione's lawyers argued that Ms. Bondi's statement was a “political stunt” that distorted the grand jury process and deprived him of his constitutional right to due process. They were trying to prevent prosecutors from seeking the death penalty.
The federal indictment against Mangione includes a charge of murder with a firearm, which carries the death penalty. The indictment, based on a criminal complaint filed after Mangione's arrest, also includes charges of stalking and use of a firearm.
Mangione, an Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland real estate family, faces
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
