Accused killer Luigi Mangione spoke out in court Friday after a judge announced he would face trial in his state case on June 8.
Mangione expressed frustration with the judge’s decision, which means he will go through back-to-back trials after his federal case had been set for Oct. 13.
“It’s the same trial twice!” Mangione said. “One plus one is two. Double jeopardy by any commonsense definition.”
Supreme Court Justice Gregory Carro set the trial date in the state case at a hearing on Friday morning after he had summoned Mangione and his legal team to the courtroom without explanation.
But Carro noted that the state trial could be delayed until Sept 8 if an appeal delays the federal trial.
Mangione’s lawyers objected to the June trial date, telling the judge that they’ll be consumed with preparing for the federal case.
“Mr. Mangione is being put in an untenable situation,” defense lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo told the judge. “This is a tug-of-war between two different prosecution offices. The defense will not be ready on June 8.”
The judge simply responded: “Be Ready.”
Mangione, 27, is accused of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a sidewalk in Midtown Manhattan in December 2024.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to murder, weapons, and forgery charges.
The judge’s decision comes after state prosecutors had been pushing for a speedy trial ahead of his federal case, which involves allegations that Mangione stalked Thompson before killing him.
Federal prosecutors with the U.S. The Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York separately brought murder, weapons, and stalking charges against him and sought the death penalty.
But the judge overseeing the federal case dismissed the murder and weapons charges based on a legal technicality, effectively eliminating the possibility of the death penalty. Mangione could face life in prison if he is convicted of stalking.
Following a five-day manhunt, Mangione was captured by law enforcement in Pennsylvania after a five-day manhunt and has remained in custody since his arrest. Although Mangione is being prosecuted by both New York State and the federal government, he is currently being held in federal custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Mangione, an Ivy League graduate, has been praised by some Americans who believe he represents others who have also criticized steep healthcare costs and the denial of claims by insurance companies.