Luigi Mangione’s lawyer requests to exclude death penalty in his federal trial

Lawyers representing Luigi Mangione, the Ivy League graduate accused of assassinating Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare in New York City, have requested a federal judge to prohibit the Justice Department from seeking the death penalty in the event of a conviction.

The defense team for Mangione contended that the federal case, initiated subsequent to the murder and terrorism charges by New York prosecutors, is deemed “arbitrary and capricious.” They further argued that the directive for federal prosecutors to pursue capital punishment appears to be politically motivated.

Additionally, in their motion, the lawyers raised concerns regarding a particular Instagram post by the Justice Department. They pointed out that the wording of the post implied Mangione’s guilt, despite him not being convicted yet. The defense team asserted that such language could potentially bias the grand jury process, which may still be ongoing as the deadline for indictment submission looms next week.

Mangione is accused of plotting the assassination in order to sow terror in the health insurance industry, which he allegedly railed against in a journal police seized during his arrest in Pennsylvania days after the shooting.

Luigi Mangione shouts while officers restrain him as he arrives for his extradition hearing at Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 10, 2024. (David Dee Delgado for Fox News Digital)

His lawyers are asking the court to take away the potential death penalty as an option if he is convicted, to order grand jurors to be screened for potential prejudice, to order Bondi to confirm she is aware of rules governing extrajudicial statements, and to inspect internal Justice Department documents as well as communications between the government and “anyone advocating for the death penalty” on behalf any business, corporate interest or lobby. 

Nicholas Biase, the chief of public affairs for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, declined to comment on the new defense filing.