Mangioni Pleads “Not Guilty your Honor”
New York, Dec 23 dic (EFE).- By Guillermo Azábal
A young Luigi Mangione pleaded not guilty in Manhattan state court to all 11 charges against him, including murder and terrorism, on Monday in the Dec. 4 murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Mangione showed up in court with a reddish-purple sweater, a white collared shirt, and khaki trousers.
His defense team, the law firm of Karen Friedman Agnifilo and Marc Agnifilo, told Judge Gregory Carro that they were concerned that their client, “a young man,” would not receive a “fair trial” and that he had so far been treated as a “human ping-pong ball” and a “political fodder” by the authorities.
Judge Carro responded during this formal arraignment session that he would work to “select a balanced jury” but that he had no control over what happens outside the courtroom doors, in reference to the enormous media coverage of the case.
Thompson’s murder suspect only intervened during the hearing, which lasted about 20 minutes, to plead not guilty.
During the last five minutes of the hearing, his lawyers showed him various documents, including photographs, and he received instructions without nodding or objecting. Immediately afterward, a dozen New York City Police Department officers led him out of the courtroom in handcuffs.
Mangione also faces federal charges in New York of stalking and murder, which could carry the death penalty, in addition to the Pennsylvania state charges.
At the same time, his state charges in New York would carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
Prosecutors have not yet indicated whether they will seek the death penalty. This decision would ultimately have to be approved by the United States Attorney General.
The federal and state cases would proceed in parallel, and the state case is expected to be heard before the federal case.
Political use of the case
On the other hand, in Monday’s session, Karen Friedman Agnifilo also criticized the “spectacle” made of her defendant’s case, even by political authorities such as New York Mayor Eric Adams, who was present at Mangione’s arrival at the Manhattan courthouse on Thursday, flanked by agents.
“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,” the lawyer said.
The hearing was again well attended by the press, civil society, and members of the court itself, who filled the 100 or so seats in the courtroom.
The interest in the case even led many of those present to try to sneak out their mobile phones to capture just the appearance of the courtroom before Mangione’s arrival, with the six NYPD officers in the courtroom nearly forcing several people out of the tribunal. EFE
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