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Manhattan DA argues judge shouldn't dismiss state charges against Luigi Mangione
By
Samantha Max
Published Oct 9, 2026
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By
Samantha Max
Published Oct 9, 2026
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A judge should not dismiss state murder and weapons possession charges against Luigi Mangione, the Manhattan district attorney’s office argued in a filing submitted to the court on Friday.
Mangione was supposed to stand trial in Manhattan state court this fall. But the trial was postponed indefinitely after he pleaded guilty to stalking charges in federal court. The Ivy League graduate admitted to following UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson to New York City and shooting him.
Defense attorneys asked the judge overseeing the separate state case to throw out the remaining charges, arguing that continuing to prosecute Mangione would violate his rights. But in a 42-page response, prosecutors disagreed. They said he’s accused of different crimes in state court, so his federal guilty plea shouldn’t affect the state case.
State and federal prosecutors separately charged Mangione with various crimes after police arrested him in connection with the December 2024 fatal shooting of Brian Thompson. They accused him of following the UnitedHealthcare CEO to Manhattan and killing him outside a Midtown hotel. The shooting was captured on surveillance footage and sparked a dayslong search for the perpetrator.
Judges dismissed the most serious charges against Mangione, including state terrorism offenses and a federal murder charge that made him eligible for the death penalty. In August, the 28-year-old Ivy League graduate pleaded guilty to federal stalking charges. He said in court that his decision followed years of severe back pain and struggles navigating the health insurance system.
“On the morning of Dec. 4, 2024, I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan and he died,” Mangione said in court. “When I did so, I understood that my actions would place him in fear of death or serious bodily injury. I knew what I was doing was illegal.”
The case has garnered international attention and inflamed debates about the U.S. healthcare industry. Supporters have flocked to Mangione’s court appearances and bombarded him with mail in federal detention. Law enforcement and other critics have condemned the shooting, as well as the attention that has swirled around Mangione since his arrest.
A spokesperson for Mangione's defense team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Samantha Max
Samantha reports on whether New Yorkers feel safe and whether the institutions that are supposed to protect them are working. Before coming to WNYC/Gothamist, she spent three years covering the criminal justice system in Tennessee for Nashville Public Radio. Her reporting on Nashville's police department received multiple awards, including the Daniel Schorr Journalism Prize. Samantha was also part of the inaugural class of Report for America, a service journalism program that sends up-and-coming reporters to local newsrooms across the country. She is a Northwestern University grad, a Baltimore native and fluent in Spanish. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal: samanthamaxwnyc.93.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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