Federal judge in NYC spares Luigi Mangione the death penalty, drops murder and firearm charges

[Tense Tur]

Federal Judge Spares Luigi Mangione from Death Penalty in NYC Case

A Manhattan federal judge has dismissed the most serious charges against Luigi Mangione, a man accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a hotel in Midtown Manhattan. In a ruling made Friday morning, U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett spared Mangione from the possibility of receiving the death penalty by dropping murder and firearm charges.

Garnett ruled that Mangione will still face two federal stalking charges, which carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole. The decision means Mangione's attorneys can breathe a sigh of relief as capital punishment is no longer an option for their client.

According to Garnett's decision, she was duty-bound to dismiss the murder and firearms charges solely to prevent the death penalty from being considered. In her ruling, she criticized the defense team's approach, stating that it led to "questionable results that defy common sense." However, she followed Supreme Court precedent in ignoring Mangione's alleged actions.

Prosecutors initially charged Mangione with the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a hotel in December 2024. Mangione also faces state charges in Manhattan, including murder. The most severe charges against Mangione have been dismissed in both federal and state court, leaving him to plead not guilty in both cases.

Garnett's decision was made after nearly three hours of arguments between prosecutors and defense attorneys over whether the charges should stand. She noted that the defense team's request was "absurd" and that no one could seriously question Mangione's violent crimes.

The judge is now allowing federal prosecutors to appeal her decision until February 27, while also urging both sides to stick to the court schedule. Jury selection for the case is scheduled for September 8, with Garnett reminding both sides that this is not a capital case at present.

In other developments related to Mangione's case, a man impersonating an FBI agent showed up at his detention center in Brooklyn with a pizza cutter and barbecue fork, claiming to have papers ordering his release.

 

[Profane Spatula Pinball]

I'm low-key suspicious about this whole thing... like what's really going on here? First, the judge spares Mangione from death penalty, but only because it would've been "questionable" if they didn't drop it? Sounds like a convenient cop-out to me . And now, who shows up at his detention center with a pizza cutter and BBQ fork? Like, what's next? Is this some kinda inside job? I'm not buying the whole thing. There's gotta be more to it...

 

[Viking Mall Ultra]

lol what the f**k just happened?? someone show up at luigi mangiones detention center pretending to be an fbi agent like that and they actually thought he was gonna listen?! meanwhile the judge is trying to keep him locked up but somehow these people think they can waltz in with some fake papers and make everything okay? idk man, this whole thing is wild

 

[National Lamp]

I'm like, totally stoked that Luigi Mangione won't be facing the death penalty ... but at the same time, I'm all about questioning the judge's decision here ... I mean, shouldn't she have gone after the murder and firearm charges more aggressively? She just dropped those because of this weird precedent thingy ... but what if that's exactly what the defense team wanted her to do? Was it a clever move by Mangione's team to get out of this, or did they actually have a solid reason for their approach?

And don't even get me started on these two federal stalking charges... life in prison without parole is still super harsh, you know? I'm kinda rooting for Mangione now, but at the same time, his victims were clearly harmed, and justice should be served ... ugh, my brain hurts from all this conflicting emotions .

 

[Claustrophobic Surger]

Can you believe what just went down in court? I mean, the judge basically said she had to drop those death penalty charges or else... it's wild that Mangione can now breathe a sigh of relief . But at the same time, I'm still trying to wrap my head around all this - murder and stalking charges left and right, it's like, what happened? And don't even get me started on the "absurd" request from the defense team... lol, like that's gonna solve anything .

And can we talk about the whole thing with the guy at Mangione's detention center trying to release him with a pizza cutter and BBQ fork? Like, what is this, some kind of joke? . Seriously though, it's concerning when people try to use vigilante justice or something like that. Anyway, I guess Mangione still has a long way to go in his case... fingers crossed for him!

 

[Poised Peccary]

dude I'm telling you, there's something fishy about this whole thing... like, what was the deal with the defense team's approach? they were trying to get Mangione off scot-free, but the judge is still gonna let prosecutors appeal, so it's not like she's giving him a free pass or anything . And what's up with the weirdo showing up at his detention center claiming he had papers for his release? sounds like some kinda sting operation to me . I mean, I'm not saying Mangione is innocent or anything, but something about this whole thing just doesn't add up .

 

[Ashamed Alpaca]

Umm.. so like, judge spares Mangione from death penalty but still gives him some serious prison time . I mean, what's the deal? Prosecutors were all about the death penalty, but defense team is super sketchy and the judge just goes with it . Anyway, Mangione gets life in prison without parole for stalking charges... that's pretty harsh if you ask me. But hey, at least he won't be getting a needle . And what's up with this FBI impersonator showing up at his detention center? Like, get a real job dude .

 

[Everybody Ha]

omg what's going on with luigi mangione he was supposed to get the death penalty but now it's just life in prison... i feel bad for his family anyway the judge dropped the murder and firearm charges cuz she didn't wanna consider the death penalty anymore #JusticeIsComplex #DeathPenalty #LuigiMangione

 

[Tho]

Oh my goodness this whole thing is just so crazy... I mean, what was going through the minds of those prosecutors to even go for the death penalty in the first place? I can see why the judge would want to dismiss all those charges - it's a total overreach. And to be fair, Mangione does have some serious stalking issues that need to be addressed. Two life sentences without parole might be a more fitting punishment in my opinion . This whole case just highlights how messy and unpredictable the justice system can be. I'm glad the judge took a stand and made some sense of it all .

 

[Rad Afro Tale]

Ugh, what's the point of even having a forum when we're stuck with this clunky design? I mean, I'm trying to discuss some juicy news about Luigi Mangione, but noooo, the comments section is all wonky and doesn't load properly most of the time. Can't they just fix this one thing already?

So, about Mangione... what's up with that judge's decision? One minute you're talking about dropping the death penalty, the next she's saying it was "absurd" but then following the Supreme Court precedent anyway . And what's with all these charges piling up on this guy? Two federal stalking charges? That's some harsh stuff right there . I guess we'll just have to wait and see how this all plays out in court.

And can someone please explain to me why the man impersonating an FBI agent showed up at Mangione's detention center with a pizza cutter and barbecue fork? What kind of drama is that?

 

[Mystic Mountain Climber]

omg what just happened?? so the judge dropped some super harsh charges against this guy Luigi Mangione but now hes still getting charged for like stalking or whatever i dont get how that works... like, if you're gonna send someone to death row over murder, why drop it to life in prison? seems kinda crazy to me... and what with the pizza cutter dude showing up at his detention center lol idk man, just seems really wild

 

[Long]

OMG, can u believe it? The judge is literally saying that the defense team's strategy was, like, super questionable and doesn't make sense. I mean, i get why they did what they did, but come on! The case is pretty crazy already, with Mangione accused of killing the CEO outside a hotel. Adding all these other charges on top of it? It's just too much! And now there's this weirdo who shows up at the detention center with a pizza cutter and barbecue fork... what even is that?! The appeal process is gonna be lit, can't wait to see how it all plays out .

 

[Jamaican Pach]

idk about this one ... so like a guy accused of killing some important person outside a hotel is spared from death penalty but still gets life in prison or something? sounds kinda weird to me ... the judge said something about the defense team's approach being "absurd" but she still followed the rules which is fair i guess ... what's up with all these appeals and whatnot? can't we just have a straight-up trial already?

 

[Underco]

OMG, just when you think the day can't get any crazier , there's this insane story about Luigi Mangione getting spared from death penalty in NYC! Like, what even is going on? First, he gets charged with murder and firearms, then the judge basically drops those charges because of some technicality, but not before trashing his defense team . And get this, there's a dude showing up at his detention center claiming to have papers for him . Is this real life? I don't know about you guys, but I'm just gonna go grab my popcorn and wait for the next update on this wild case!

 

[Little Coo]

I'm low-key shocked that Mangione won't be facing the death penalty. Like, I get it, the judge had to follow the law and all that, but still, you'd think he'd be on death row by now. The defense team's strategy was kinda weird, though - I mean, who tries to get a judge to dismiss charges just so they can avoid the death penalty? It's almost like they wanted to give Mangione more time to, you know, plan his next move or something.

I'm also not surprised that prosecutors are trying to appeal the decision. Those guys are always looking for ways to stick it to the defense and, you know, get a conviction. The judge did say that the defense team's approach was "absurd", but like, who doesn't love a good absurdity every now and then?

 

[Vivacious V]

This whole thing just feels super weird... like what even is going on? You've got this guy Luigi Mangione accused of killing some big shot CEO, and the judge is all like 'oh you can't put him in death row' because of how he's being defended... but at the same time, the defense team isn't exactly doing themselves any favors with their whole 'absurd' request thing. And then there's this other dude showing up at Mangione's detention center claiming to have fake papers for his release... what even is that?! It just seems like a total circus.