Luigi Mangione is pleading not guilty to state murder charges that could see him remaining in prison for life.
The 26-year-old suspect in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was arraigned at Manhattan Criminal Court on Monday (December 23) in New York City.
He wore a maroon sweater, white shirt, khaki pants, and orange shoes with his hands and feet in shackles as he entered the not guilty plea to Judge Gregory Carro of Manhattan Supreme Court at his arraignment on state murder charges, which accuse him of committing an act of terrorism.
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His lawyers claim that a potential jury would be prejudiced by the heavily photographed perp walk with huge police presence upon his arrival to New York City, via People.
His attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, said she is concerned about her client’s ability to get a fair trial.
“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,” she said. “He’s a young man being treated like a human ping-pong ball.”
The attorney called staged perp walks “unconstitutional,” also calling out Mayor Eric Adams for being there, who attended the perp walk amid his own federal indictment 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,” the lawyer said. “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.”
He also faces federal murder charges that could land him the death penalty, plus weapons and forgery charges in Pennsylvania
He’s pled not guilty to the Pennsylvania charges, but hasn’t entered a plea yet to the federal charges.
He is being detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where Sean “Diddy” Combs is currently being held.
