Feb. 6 (UPI) — New York’s state trial of alleged murderer Luigi Mangione will start on June 8 despite objections from his legal team, a judge ruled Friday.
New York Court of Claims Judge Gregory Carro set the trial date during a hearing in New York City, which will occur before the federal trial against Mangione that is scheduled to start Sept. 8.
“It appears that the federal government has reneged on their agreement to allow the state, who has done most of the work in this case, to go first,” Carro said.
While being escorted from the courtroom after the hearing ended, Mangione, 27, accused the court of engaging in double jeopardy, which is a legal principle that prevents a defendant from being tried more than once for the same alleged crime.
“It’s the same trial twice,” Mangione yelled. “One plus one equals two. Double jeopardy by any common-sense definition.”
He also faces stalking charges in the U.S. District Court of Southern New York over the Dec. 4, 2024, shooting death of UnitedHealth Group Chief Executive Officer Brian Thompson.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to the state charges in New York as well as the federal charges against him. He also faces related state charges in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested about a week after Thompson’s slaying.
Mangione faces nine charges in the state of New York’s case against him, including second-degree murder and several felony firearms offenses. Those charges differ from those filed in the federal case.
Neither the federal nor the state case against him in New York involves the death penalty after a federal judge on Jan. 30 ruled against it. The death penalty is banned in New York.
The respective trials will start with jury selections, but oral arguments will begin several weeks later, with the state trial’s oral arguments starting in October.
Manhattan prosecutors want a speedy trial and had asked Carro to schedule the state trial ahead of the federal trial.
Mangione’s lead defense attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, argued that the state trial date would cause conflicts with the federal court’s September trial date.
Agnifilo could file for an extension to delay the federal trial, which the federal judge presiding over that case would have to decide.
Mangione could be sentenced to life in prison in the state trial and faces the same potential penalty in the federal case.
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