Attorneys for Luigi Mangione asked a federal judge Saturday to dismiss charges against him, arguing that state and federal officials violated his constitutional rights and damaged his chances for a fair trial.
Mangione is accused of killing Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, in December 2024. The high-profile assassination drew national attention in the days after Thompson’s death.
Earlier this week, a New York state judge dropped two terrorism-related charges against Mangione. He still faces a federal murder charge that could carry the death penalty. His defense team is also asking the court to remove the death penalty as an option.
Mangione’s attorneys accuse state and federal prosecutors, along with New York City Mayor Eric Adams, of conduct that violated "Mangione’s constitutional and statutory rights and have fatally prejudiced this death penalty case.”
They said officials failed to note at a December news conference that Mangione is “presumed innocent” while presenting evidence against him.
Defense lawyers also objected to Mangione being “perp walked” before television cameras, calling it an act “purely to dehumanize Mangione and [that] had no legitimate law enforcement purpose.”
The attorneys further criticized the Trump administration and Attorney General Pam Bondi, who said pursuing the death penalty was part of “President Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again.”
His lawyers argue that these incidents have undermined Mangione’s ability to receive a fair trial.
While some of the most serious charges were dropped earlier this week, Mangione still faces second-degree murder and weapons charges in the state case, as well as federal counts of murder, stalking and a firearms violation.
