Lawyer for Assassin Accused of Killing Health Insurance Executive Seeks to Suppress Backpack Evidence in NY Court
Luigi Mangione, 27, will appear before a Manhattan judge this week in an effort to have key evidence from his backpack suppressed. The case against him centers on the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Midtown hotel last year.
Mangione's defense team claims that police officers failed to read him his Miranda rights when they interrogated him and searched his backpack at a Pennsylvania McDonald's in December. They argue that this was done without the proper warrant. On the other hand, prosecutors maintain that no wrongdoing occurred.
According to Mangione's lawyers, body camera footage from the encounter shows that police began questioning him immediately after approaching him but failed to provide him with his Miranda rights for 20 minutes.
Once Mangione invoked his right to remain silent and expressed unwillingness to speak to law enforcement, the defense claims that he exercised his constitutional right effectively. They also argue that police searched his backpack both at McDonald's and at the precinct in violation of the law.
However, investigators claim that a notebook recovered from the backpack contains passage where Mangione describes wanting to kill the CEO of an insurance company – specifically UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Legal experts say it would be difficult for Judge Gregory Carro to rule against them. Mangione faces state and federal murder charges. In the federal case, prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
This week's hearings could result in huge crowds at the Lower Manhattan courthouse as Mangione has gained a significant following among those who oppose the American health insurance industry due to his perceived charm and looks. However, others, including former President Trump, portray him as a cold-blooded assassin.
Experts note that suppression hearings are typically low-profile affairs but this one may be different given its potential impact on the case against Mangione. The defense team hopes to uncover more information in these hearings which could be used during trial to impeach key witnesses or even secure dismissal of charges.
Police first approached Mangione at a McDonald's following a tip from an employee. Mangione's attorneys argue that officers unlawfully searched his backpack both at the McDonald's and at their precinct.
The prosecution has maintained its stance on this matter, while the defense continues to push for key evidence to be suppressed as it could significantly impact the case against Mangione.
Luigi Mangione, 27, will appear before a Manhattan judge this week in an effort to have key evidence from his backpack suppressed. The case against him centers on the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Midtown hotel last year.
Mangione's defense team claims that police officers failed to read him his Miranda rights when they interrogated him and searched his backpack at a Pennsylvania McDonald's in December. They argue that this was done without the proper warrant. On the other hand, prosecutors maintain that no wrongdoing occurred.
According to Mangione's lawyers, body camera footage from the encounter shows that police began questioning him immediately after approaching him but failed to provide him with his Miranda rights for 20 minutes.
Once Mangione invoked his right to remain silent and expressed unwillingness to speak to law enforcement, the defense claims that he exercised his constitutional right effectively. They also argue that police searched his backpack both at McDonald's and at the precinct in violation of the law.
However, investigators claim that a notebook recovered from the backpack contains passage where Mangione describes wanting to kill the CEO of an insurance company – specifically UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Legal experts say it would be difficult for Judge Gregory Carro to rule against them. Mangione faces state and federal murder charges. In the federal case, prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
This week's hearings could result in huge crowds at the Lower Manhattan courthouse as Mangione has gained a significant following among those who oppose the American health insurance industry due to his perceived charm and looks. However, others, including former President Trump, portray him as a cold-blooded assassin.
Experts note that suppression hearings are typically low-profile affairs but this one may be different given its potential impact on the case against Mangione. The defense team hopes to uncover more information in these hearings which could be used during trial to impeach key witnesses or even secure dismissal of charges.
Police first approached Mangione at a McDonald's following a tip from an employee. Mangione's attorneys argue that officers unlawfully searched his backpack both at the McDonald's and at their precinct.
The prosecution has maintained its stance on this matter, while the defense continues to push for key evidence to be suppressed as it could significantly impact the case against Mangione.
idk why mangione's defense team is making such a big deal about his backpack being searched without a warrant... like, it's not like they're claiming he was coerced or anything 
. and what's up with this notebook thing? if the police found it in his backpack and it does contain some pretty incriminating stuff, isn't that kinda hard to just ignore? 
i mean, mangione's got a lot riding on him here, but suppressing the evidence seems like a pretty long shot 
.
. I mean, a guy who's accused of killing someone over a CEO just gained a following among people who are against the health insurance industry? It's like he's some kind of folk hero or something. But on the other hand, folks like Trump are saying he's a cold-blooded assassin... what's going on here?
. Mangione's gotta answer for his actions, and I hope he gets the justice he deserves.
however, if the investigators can show that the notebook in the backpack does indeed contain some threatening notes, then mangione's chances of getting a light sentence just went down 
. I don't know if the defense is going to be able to pull off this whole "suppression hearing" thing and get those charges dropped. The prosecutors are gonna push back hard, and it's gonna be a long and ugly trial for Mangione either way 
.
but at the same time, a notebook in his backpack with these super incriminating writings is pretty damning evidence 
. i'm not gonna lie, if mangione does get his backpack evidence suppressed it could be a huge blow to the prosecution and might just change the whole narrative of the case. but on the other hand, if he's guilty (and let's assume that's likely given what we know) then he should at least face some accountability for his actions 
. I mean, come on, killing someone isn't exactly a heroic act, no matter how good-looking you are.
