Federal Judge in NYC Drops Murder and Firearms Charges Against Luigi Mangione, Sparing Him Death Penalty
A Manhattan federal judge, Margaret Garnett, has dismissed the murder and firearms charges against Luigi Mangione, a suspect in the high-profile killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Midtown hotel last year. In her decision, Judge Garnett stated that while Mangione will still face two federal stalking charges, which carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole, she was dropping the more serious charges solely to prevent the death penalty from becoming an available punishment.
The move comes after nearly three hours of heated debate between prosecutors and defense attorneys at a hearing earlier this month. Mangione's lawyers had argued that federal prosecutors could only pursue those charges if they were also accusing him of other violent crimes, citing a technicality. However, Judge Garnett has ruled against this argument, saying that "no one could seriously question" whether Mangione is accused of violent criminal conduct.
Mangione was initially charged with murder and firearms offenses in connection with the killing of Thompson, who was shot outside a hotel in December 2024. He also faces state charges in Manhattan, including murder. In September last year, a judge in the state case dropped two terrorism-related charges against Mangione, leaving him with the federal stalking charges.
In her decision, Judge Garnett noted that prosecutors had failed to establish that the stalking charges should be considered violent crimes. She criticized this approach, saying it can lead to "questionable results that defy common sense," but stated she was duty-bound to follow Supreme Court precedent.
Mangione's defense attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, expressed relief at the decision, stating that capital punishment is no longer an option for her client. Mangione himself appeared in court in handcuffs and did not comment publicly on the dismissal of his charges.
The case has taken a dramatic turn, with prosecutors facing pressure to decide whether they will appeal Judge Garnett's decision within the next few weeks. Jury selection is scheduled to begin on September 8, with Judge Garnett urging both sides to keep to the court's schedule.
A Manhattan federal judge, Margaret Garnett, has dismissed the murder and firearms charges against Luigi Mangione, a suspect in the high-profile killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Midtown hotel last year. In her decision, Judge Garnett stated that while Mangione will still face two federal stalking charges, which carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole, she was dropping the more serious charges solely to prevent the death penalty from becoming an available punishment.
The move comes after nearly three hours of heated debate between prosecutors and defense attorneys at a hearing earlier this month. Mangione's lawyers had argued that federal prosecutors could only pursue those charges if they were also accusing him of other violent crimes, citing a technicality. However, Judge Garnett has ruled against this argument, saying that "no one could seriously question" whether Mangione is accused of violent criminal conduct.
Mangione was initially charged with murder and firearms offenses in connection with the killing of Thompson, who was shot outside a hotel in December 2024. He also faces state charges in Manhattan, including murder. In September last year, a judge in the state case dropped two terrorism-related charges against Mangione, leaving him with the federal stalking charges.
In her decision, Judge Garnett noted that prosecutors had failed to establish that the stalking charges should be considered violent crimes. She criticized this approach, saying it can lead to "questionable results that defy common sense," but stated she was duty-bound to follow Supreme Court precedent.
Mangione's defense attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, expressed relief at the decision, stating that capital punishment is no longer an option for her client. Mangione himself appeared in court in handcuffs and did not comment publicly on the dismissal of his charges.
The case has taken a dramatic turn, with prosecutors facing pressure to decide whether they will appeal Judge Garnett's decision within the next few weeks. Jury selection is scheduled to begin on September 8, with Judge Garnett urging both sides to keep to the court's schedule.
mangione gets a free pass just because of some technicality and now he's basically walking away without facing death penalty 
it's like, what's the point of even having laws if someone can just game the system and get off scot-free? 
i mean, don't get me wrong, mangione doesn't deserve to die either, but come on, some justice gotta be served 
. I mean, come on, the feds are only dropping the murder and firearms charges because they don't want to risk Mangione getting the death penalty? It sounds like a convenient way out to me 
. And what's with the "no one could seriously question" line from Judge Garnett? That just reeks of a predetermined outcome, you know? The defense lawyers were trying to point out a loophole, but she shut it down anyway. I'm not buying it 
. And the idea that prosecutors couldn't establish that stalking charges are violent is just not true 
, but I feel bad for Brian Thompson's family. They must be still dealing with the trauma of what happened to their loved one 
. And now this whole case is just gonna drag on and on 
. It's like, when do we get some closure?!
. But, like, I guess they didn't wanna risk going for the death penalty or something 
. And now Mangione's just gonna face those stalking charges – max sentence is life without parole, yeah 
. It's all kinda shady how Judge Garnett said prosecutors couldn't consider his prior violent crimes as part of the case... that does seem like a weak argument 
.
It just seems like a way to avoid accountability, you know? And what's with all these technicalities and Supreme Court precedent nonsense? Can't we just have a straightforward investigation here? I'm not saying Mangione is guilty or anything (although he does seem pretty shady), but it just seems like the system is getting a bit too...flexible. 
. What's really going on here? Did the prosecution have no actual evidence to back up their claims? And what about all these 'technicalities' that Mangione's lawyers keep citing? Is this just some elaborate game of whack-a-mole with prosecutors and defense attorneys? 
I need more info on this one before I can even begin to form an opinion 
I mean, it sounds crazy that Luigi Mangione was facing the death penalty for these charges, but let's not forget that justice is supposed to be blind, right? 
. I'm sure Mangione's lawyers were trying their best to protect him, but this case has been super complicated from the start... 
Guess that's one way to get out of the death penalty, right? 
. But at the same time, I get why Mangione's lawyers were trying to use this tactic - it's all about getting the best outcome for their client 
.
. Ugh, my mind is all over the place 
.
He must've been going through such a stressful time, and now that the murder and firearms charges are dropped he can finally breathe easy. I feel like justice has kinda been served, you know? The whole thing was just getting too intense with all those violent charges and stuff... I'm glad the judge saw it through and made the right call. But still gotta keep an eye on the prosecutors, they might try to appeal and mess things up again 
. I guess only time will tell if prosecutors decide to appeal Judge Garnett's decision, but for now, it's just so... complicated 
. It's just so... messy 
.
. So like, prosecutors had Mangione dead to rights for murder and firearms charges, but then they drop 'em just so they can avoid giving him death penalty? 
. So, let's all just take a deep breath and try to stay calm about this one, 'kay? 
it's not fair that he'll still get life in prison for stalking but murder is off the table?