Luigi Mangione’s federal trial could begin later this year.
Mangione, 27, appeared in a New York City courtroom Friday as his lawyers try to bar the Justice Department from seeking the death penalty in his federal trial for the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
The pivotal hearing was Mangione’s first federal court appearance since he pleaded not guilty to murder and stalking charges at his arraignment in April 2025.
The hearing was mostly surrounding the defense’s motion to dismiss two counts, including one that would take the death penalty off the table, if his lawyers get their way. They’re targeting counts three and four – murder through use of a firearm, and a firearms offense.
Mangione arrived at court just after 11 a.m. His legs were shackled, but his hands were free. He was wearing a tan prison jumpsuit and shook hands with his attorneys.
Mangione’s court appearances often attract a crowd, and a small group of his supporters rallied outside the Manhattan courthouse.
Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images
That said, the courtroom was not full. There were mostly journalists in the gallery, along with some attorneys and members of the public.
Judge says trial date not likely to be announced any time soon
Attorneys brought up a lot of case law with the judge during the roughly two-and-a-half hour hearing.
The judge said that the outcome of the motion to dismiss two of the counts against Mangione will impact the trial date. Because of that, the trial date was not settled Friday.
The judge and Mangione’s defense then discussed the evidence found in Mangione’s backpack, including his journal. The judge seemed to express skepticism toward the defense’s argument that officers recovering Mangione’s backpack and taking it to the station for examination was inappropriate.
Mangione’s defense team argued that while officers had the right to safeguard the backpack, they would not have the right to go through it and inventory it without a search warrant.
The judge indicated she didn’t think it will be necessary to hold a separate evidence hearing, as was the case in his state trial.
In court filings, defense attorneys argued the stalking crimes “are not ‘crimes of violence,’ as would be required to convict Mr. Mangione on Counts Three and Four.”
“The murder charges say that if you have murder using a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence, that can be punished with the death penalty. And what the federal government has done is they’ve charged Mangione with stalking, and they’ve said that is the crime of violence. And the defense is saying, stalking is not necessarily a crime of violence,” legal expert Richard Schoenstein said.
In a court filing, prosecutors said the defense is wrong, and argued for counts three and four, they are required to prove Mangione “engaged in ‘conduct,’ or a ‘course of conduct,’ that placed the victim in ‘reasonable fear of death … or serious bodily injury,'” and that it resulted in the death of the victim.
In court, the judge called it a difficult issue.
“I want to think about it,” she said. She’ll issue a written decision.
All parties agreed to target jury selection in the federal trial in early September, with an eye on trial beginning later in the fall, or, in the event it is a capital trial, in early winter.
Court wrapped up just before 2 p.m. The next court date in his federal case is Jan. 30.
“That argument in particular is very law specific”
New York Law School Professor Anna Cominsky said the key issues the federal judge will be looking at are whether certain charges should be dismissed and whether the death penalty should be on the table.
Mangione’s defense team is trying to get the murder by firearm charge thrown out. That charge allows the federal government to seek the death penalty.
“That argument in particular is very law specific. It has to do with whether or not there was a crime of violence being committed in connection with the murder. There is a lot of case law that interprets that and that is going to be a very technical, legal argument,” Cominsky said.
The judge will also be determining if the contents of Mangione’s backpack should be used as evidence in the trial. The black backpack, which Mangione had when he was arrested, was also at the center of pretrial hearings in his New York state murder case.
At issue is whether the police search of Mangione’s backpack was legal as officers went on to find a pistol, silencer and notebook inside.
Mangione’s lawyers argue the evidence found inside the bag should be excluded because police did not have a warrant.
The judge in the state case is currently deciding whether to allow the evidence into that trial. A decision is expected by May 18.
Mangione’s attorneys say case is tainted
Mangione’s defense attorneys say authorities prejudiced the case against him by turning his arrest for the 2024 shooting into a “Marvel movie spectacle.”
They have presented a few arguments as to why this should not be a federal death penalty case.
William Farrington / AP 
Mangione’s lawyers argue that authorities prejudiced the case by turning his perp walk into a highly choreographed spectacle and declaring their desire to see him executed before formally indicting him.
They also claim Attorney General Pam Bondi’s previous job with Ballard Partners, a lobbying firm whose clients include UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, is a conflict of interest.
They allege Bondi violated an agreement when she took office to bow out of any matters related to Ballard Partners for at least one year.
Prosecutors deny Bondi has conflict of interest
Federal prosecutors slammed the defense’s claims as meritless and misleading, arguing there is no conflict of interest with the attorney general because there is no present or future financial gain.
They also argue that pretrial publicity, even when intense, is hardly a constitutional crisis.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to both federal and state charges.
