The important thing to know here is that Luigi Mangione is currently facing two trials, one on state charges in New York and one on federal charges. New York has argued that the state charges take precedence and the state trial is set to begin on September 8, less than a month from now. The federal case is set to begin next January.
But starting yesterday there have been suggestions that Mangione may be about to make a plea deal in the federal case. A hearing was suddenly scheduled for Friday morning at the request of both the defense and prosecutors.
An unexpected hearing in Luigi Mangione’s federal case has been scheduled for Friday morning — fueling speculation that the alleged United Healthcare CEO killer could cop a plea deal.
Prosecutors and Mangione’s lawyers filed a joint letter requesting the hearing at 11 a.m. in Manhattan federal court, where the 28-year-old is charged with two counts of stalking resulting in death.
Two other counts, including a death-penalty-eligible count of murder through use of a firearm, were dismissed, but Mangione still faces up to life in prison if convicted in the federal case.
The death penalty is off the table in the federal case and New York doesn’t allow the death penalty so the worst case here is life in prison in either case. There were reports a couple months ago that Mangione’s lawyers had approached the feds seeking a deal, but at the time the prosecution wasn’t interested.
In June, CNN reported that Mangione’s attorneys previously spoke with federal prosecutors about a potential plea deal, but none was reached at the time, a source familiar with the discussions said at the time…
In a statement earlier this summer addressing reported plea talks, Mangione’s lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo said, “This information attributed to ‘anonymous sources’ is part of a troubling, deliberate pattern by prosecutors and law enforcement to prejudice Luigi, manipulate public opinion, and violate his constitutional right to a fair trial and impartial jury.”
However, if he reaches a plea deal in the federal case now, that would probably be the end of the state case as well. And, for that reason, the state prosecutors do not support a federal deal.
A federal plea deal could lead to the state charges being tossed because of New York’s rules against double jeopardy, or being tried twice for the same crime.
But the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has argued that it has “primary jurisdiction” to try the case because it charged Mangione with the murder first.
State prosecutors would fight to block any proposed federal plea that “would operate to defeat a just outcome in the state prosecution,” Assistant District Attorney Joel Seidemann wrote in a letter filed with the state court last month.
ABC is framing the state response a bit differently, focusing more on the “just outcome.” Basically, if there is a deal, the state wants to make sure it’s as tough a result as the state expects to get in their trial and one the family can live with.
In its letter, the district attorney’s office said it is aware of public reporting by ABC News and other outlets about Mangione’s earlier contemplation of a guilty plea in the federal case.
“If a proposed federal guilty plea would operate to defeat a just outcome in the state prosecution, the People could advise the federal district court if that consequence, and the court should consider that fact in deciding whether to accept the plea, as well as any opposition by the victim’s family to such a resolution,” the letter said.
That’s all we know for now, but we should have an answer Friday morning. And because there is a lot of interest in this case, we’ll all hear about it immediately.
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