NEW YORK — Luigi Mangione pleaded not guilty in a New York courtroom Monday to state charges in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson earlier this month outside a Manhattan hotel.
Mangione faces 11 state charges, including first degree murder in furtherance of terrorism.
His next court appearance was set for Feb. 21.
State prosecutors allege Mangione was found in possession of what is believed to be the murder weapon, and surveillance videos show a man matching his description before and after the attack, including outside the Hilton where Thompson was shot in the back.
A key difference between the state and federal charges Mangione faces is that the state argues the shooting was an act of terrorism. Additionally, the federal charges open the possibility of the death penalty.
Mangione, 26, is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn after he appeared in federal court last week.
What happened during Luigi Mangione’s court appearance
Mangione entered court with his hands and feet shackled. He was wearing a burgundy sweater over a white collared shirt and khaki pants.
Seth Wenig / AP
Mangione leaned forward and said “not guilty” into a microphone when the judge asked him to enter his plea.
He spoke quietly and extensively with his attorneys during his brief court appearance. HIs hands were unshackled long enough for him to sign some papers. He appeared to be listening intently as his attorney spoke to the judge.
Mangione was flanked by four officers as he sat in the courtroom.
Prosecutors said in court they have been assured by federal prosecutors that the state case will move forward prior to the federal trial.
Mangione’s attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo requested immediate, expedited discovery in the case. Prosecutors said the amount of discovery material is voluminous, including thousands of hour of surveillance video.
“He is being treated like a human ping pong ball”
Friedman Agnifilo said Mangione is facing two proceedings, one of them with the possibility of the death penalty, and she told the court she’s “very concerned” about Mangione’s ability to get a fair trial, saying statements made by government officials have been prejudicial.
“He is a young man and he is being treated like a human ping pong ball, between two warring jurisdictions here. These federal and state prosecutors are coordinating with one another at the expense of him. They have conflicting theories in their indictments, and they are literally treating him like he is some sort of political fodder, like some sort of spectacle,” Friedman Agnifilo said. “He was on display for everyone to see in the biggest staged perp walk I’ve ever seen in my career. It was absolutely unnecessary. He’s been cooperative with law enforcement. He had been in custody for over a week. He waived extradition.”
Friedman Agnifilo also took issue with Mayor Eric Adams’ presence when Mangione was returned to New York was “political.”
“There was absolutely no need whatsoever, and frankly the mayor should know more than anyone of the presumption of innocence that he too is afforded when dealing with his own issues, and frankly I submit he was trying to detract from those issues by making a spectacle of Mr Mangione,” Friedman Agnifilo said. “He’s not a symbol. He’s somebody who’s afforded the right to a fair trial. He’s innocent until proven guilty. And the mayor was talking to jurors, future potential jurors, those are the people that elected him that he is talking to, and calling this man a terrorist… . I just want to make a record of this and put everyone on notice that this has to stop, and my client is entitled to a fair trial and the presumption of innocence.”
Bail was set at $1, but that is purely symbolic, because he is already being held in federal prison.
Among the long line of reporters who were waiting to get into the courtroom Monday morning, there were also members of the public – almost all of them young women – a few of whom told CBS News New York’s Ali Bauman they were there to support Mangione. Outside the courthouse, CBS News New York’s Lisa Rozner reported there were about two dozen people gathered to show support for Mangione.
As Mangione left court, some of the women in attendance gave him a thumbs up.
Adams responds to Mangione’s attorney
A spokesman for the mayor responded later in the day to that statement.
“The cold-blooded assassination of Brian Thompson – a father of two – and the terror it infused on the streets of New York City for days has since been sickeningly glorified, shining a spotlight on the darkest corners of the internet. Mayor Adams’ priority is – and always has been – public safety, and he has repeatedly spoken about how social media is fueling the radicalization of our youth. Critics can say all they want, but showing up to support our law enforcement and sending the message to New Yorkers that violence and vitriol have no place in our city is who Mayor Eric Adams is to his core,” Adams spokesperson Kayla Mamelak Altus said.
Mangione facing both state and federal charges
Mangione was flanked by heavily armed guards as he was extradited from Pennsylvania to New York last Thursday. He then appeared in federal court on stalking and murder charges.
In a statement, Friedman Agnifilo called the federal charges “highly unusual,” saying they raise “serious constitutional and statutory double jeopardy concerns.”
The federal complaint revealed Mangione was found with a notebook containing handwritten pages that “express hostility towards the health insurance industry and wealthy executives in particular.”
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg says his office is working with the federal government and, while the cases are happening simultaneously, the trials will have to happen at different times. Acting U.S. Attorney Edward Kim said he expects the state case to proceed first.