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Luigi Mangione’s court appearance in Pennsylvania today kicks off a series of hearings in two states on a flurry of criminal charges connected to the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Here’s what Mangione is facing in court:
State charges in Pennsylvania: Mangione faces gun charges in connection to the 3D-printed firearm and false identification police say were found in his possession when he was arrested at a McDonald’s. Blair County District Attorney Peter Weeks said he would not push to have those charges heard ahead of Mangione’s much more serious charges in New York.
Extradition from Pennsylvania: Mangione has the right to challenge the warrant issued from New York demanding his appearance in connection to the murder. His attorney says Mangione will waive that right, and he is expected to be transported to New York as soon as the hearing is over.
State charges in New York: Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has filed both first-degree and second-degree murder charges against Mangione in Thompson’s death, as well as three other charges. The first-degree murder charge was added based on the allegation that the killing of Thompson was not just directed at the victim, but was an act of terrorism.
The time of Mangione’s first courtroom appearance in New York is not yet confirmed, but CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig said it will probably happen no later than Friday. Now that Mangione has retained prominent New York attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Honig doesn’t expect any more dramatic scenes like we saw before his initial Pennsylvania hearing.
“I promise you, Karen Friedman Agnifilo got to him and said, ‘Shut your mouth. No more outbursts. None of that stuff you did the other day,’” Honig said.
Mangione is very unlikely to be granted bond, said CNN senior law enforcement analyst Andrew McCabe. “He’ll end up staying at Rikers Island with every other inmate in New York City that’s awaiting some sort of trial or legal proceeding,” said McCabe.
Possible federal case: In addition to the state murder charges filed in state court, Mangione is expected to face federal charges in the case, sources tell CNN’s Kara Scannell.
“The federal government’s reported decision to pile on top of an already overcharged first-degree murder and state terror case is highly unusual and raises serious constitutional and statutory double jeopardy concerns,” Agnifilo said in a statement.
The likelihood of a federal prosecution only adds to the spectacle of the case, with the state and federal courthouses in Manhattan right across the street from each other. “Both of those murder prosecutions could be unfolding more or less parallel to one another,” Honig said.
