On Monday morning, UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting suspect Luigi Mangione pleaded not guilty to murder charges in a New York state court.
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According to People, his lawyers argued that the dramatic nature of his arrival in New York City, highlighted by a cinematic perp walk, could bias any potential jury against him.
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Dressed in a maroon sweater, white shirt, khaki pants, and orange shoes, with his hands and feet shackled, Mangione appeared before Judge Gregory Carro in Manhattan Supreme Court. During his arraignment on state murder charges, which include allegations of terrorism, he declared his intention to plead not guilty.
Luigi Mangione’s Attorney Calls Out NYC’s Mayor Over Dramatic Perp Walk
Mangione’s attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, expressed concern over her client’s chances of receiving a fair trial. Her worries stem from the dramatic and highly choreographed transport of the accused killer last week, where a large contingent of heavily armed NYPD and FBI agents escorted him from a helicopter to his first arraignment.
“I am concerned about my client’s right to a fair trial. He is being prejudiced by these statements, and no safeguards are in place,” Friedman Agnifilo implored Judge Carro Monday morning. “He’s a young man being treated like a human ping-pong ball.”
🚨🚨Luigi Mangione's attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, criticizes New York City Mayor Eric Adams in court, alleging rights violations and politicization of the case. pic.twitter.com/SkuspBWWaz
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Friedman Agnifilo criticized staged perp walks as “unconstitutional” and specifically called out Mayor Eric Adams, who attended the event despite being federally indicted on bribery and fraud charges.
“It was the biggest perp walk I’ve ever seen. What was the New York City mayor even doing there? These staged perp walks are unconstitutional,” Friedman Agnifilo declared. “The mayor should know about due process, given his own problems. I think he was there to try to take away from those issues. He wanted to show symbolism. But my client is not a symbol.”
Meanwhile, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has charged Mangione with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in a “brazen, targeted” shooting outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel on Dec. 4. Mangione is facing charges of first and second-degree murder, along with weapons and forgery offenses.
The accused killer is also facing federal murder charges, which could result in the death penalty if convicted.
Additionally, he faces weapons and forgery charges in Pennsylvania, where he was apprehended following a five-day manhunt. He has pleaded not guilty to the Pennsylvania charges but has not yet entered a plea to the federal charges.
Mangione is scheduled to return to court on Feb. 21.