NEW YORK (AP) — A judge on Wednesday granted Luigi Mangione only a slight delay of his federal trial in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, moving it from September to October instead of next year, as his lawyers had wanted.
U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett tied her decision to the schedule of Mangione’s state murder trial, which is set to begin June 8 and last four to six weeks. She rejected a defense request to postpone the federal case until January or February 2027 to accommodate the state trial's timeline.
Mangione’s lawyers argued that back-to-back trials would violate his constitutional rights. However, Garnett maintained that their proposal to shift the federal trial into 2027 would merely move the same issues from summer to fall.
Jury selection in the federal case will commence on Oct. 5 instead of Sept. 8. Opening statements and testimony are now set for Oct. 26 instead of Oct. 13. If the state trial is delayed, this schedule may change again.
Mangione, 27, has pleaded not guilty. He could face life in prison if convicted in either trial. “There really is no way around taking into account the events in the state case,” Garnett noted during the hearing. She expressed skepticism about a complete federal trial delay to 2027 when the state trial remains unmoved.
Garnett's ruling limits the judge in the state case to alter its schedule without risking double jeopardy claims, as the issues from the federal case may overlap with the state charges.
The trial centers around the murder of Thompson, 50, who was killed on Dec. 4, 2024, in Manhattan. Video footage captured a masked gunman attacking him from behind.
In January, Garnett dismissed a charge allowing prosecutors to seek the death penalty due to legal flaws. He also retained stalking-related charges that carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
