Federal judge rules Luigi Mangione will not face death penalty

Jan. 30 (UPI) -- A federal judge ruled Friday that Luigi Mangione will not face the death penalty.

Judge Margaret Garnett announced the ruling Friday. She also said that evidence from Mangione's backpack found at the time of his arrest would be allowed in trial.

Mangione, 27, is facing federal and state murder charges for the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024.

Mangione also faces a state case against him, but New York does not have the death penalty.

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Police in Altoona, Pa., arrested Mangione at a McDonald's. When they searched his backpack, they found a handgun, a loaded magazine and a notebook. His lawyers argued in pre-trial hearings that those items shouldn't be allowed at trial because his backpack was searched without a warrant.

They also argued that his statement shouldn't be allowed as evidence in the trial because police were late reading him his Miranda rights, but Garnett hasn't ruled on that yet.

Mangione was accused of stalking Thompson, but his defense attorneys argued that stalking "fails to qualify as a crime of violence" and can't make him eligible for the death penalty. They also argued that the decision to seek the death penalty was political and bypassed the government's protocols.

Garnett's ruling removed two charges of stalking, one of which carried a death sentence.

She has said that jury selection begins Sept. 8, and opening statements begin Oct. 13 if the death penalty were removed from the case.

The Manhattan district attorney's office submitted a letter this week asking for the state trial against Mangione to begin July 1, three months ahead of the federal case, ABC News reported. The defense team responded that it's too soon and doesn't give them time to prepare. No trial date has been set.

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