In a highly anticipated legal development, a date has been set for the jury selection in the trial of Luigi Mangione, the man accused of gunning down United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024. At a hearing in Manhattan federal court on Friday, Judge Margaret Garnett scheduled the jury selection process to commence on 8 September, according to the BBC’s US partner CBS News.
The start date of the trial itself will depend on whether Mangione, who has pleaded not guilty to the killing, will face the death penalty. US Attorney General Pam Bondi is seeking the death penalty in the case, and the judge is currently weighing this request. If granted, the trial will begin on 11 January 2027. Otherwise, opening statements in the trial will commence on 13 October, the judge stated.
Mangione’s lawyers are challenging the admissibility of key evidence in the case, arguing that it was unlawfully collected during his arrest at an Altoona, Pennsylvania McDonald’s. They claim his backpack was searched without a warrant, and the items found within, including a notebook and a gun, should be excluded from the trial for this reason.
However, prosecutors argue that the Altoona Police Department’s search of Mangione’s backpack followed proper protocol, and the items discovered should be admissible as evidence. The 90-minute hearing on Friday focused primarily on the legality of the backpack search.
In addition to the federal murder charges, Mangione also faces New York state second-degree murder charges, as well as weapons and forgery charges. Terrorism charges against him have been dismissed. A trial date has yet to be set in the state case.
Mangione, who is 27 years old, has pleaded not guilty to both the state and federal murder charges. The upcoming jury selection process will be a crucial step in determining the fate of this high-profile case.
