Early Monday, police escorted a burgundy sweater-clad Luigi Mangione into the Manhattan Supreme Court for his arraignment, as he stands accused of shooting and killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on December 4. Mangione pleaded not guilty to 11 charges in his indictment, which include first-degree murder and furtherance of terrorism. In the same courtroom were throngs of women who, per ABC News, "waited in line in the frigid cold" to be able to support him. And, in a particularly memorable, mic drop of a moment, Mangione's attorney, Karen Agnifilo, who's been described as a veteran legal insider, tore into New York Mayor Eric Adams for his recent opportunism around Mangione.
On Thursday, as Mangione arrived in the city from Pennsylvania via helicopter, Adams joined members of the NYPD to make a highly theatrical, highly embarrassing photoshoot out of Mangione's perp walk to the courthouse. On Monday, Agnifilo rightfully questioned what Adams was doing at "the biggest stage perp walk I have ever seen in my career."
"What was the NYC mayor doing at this?" she said. "Frankly, your honor, the mayor should know more than anyone of the presumption of innocence, that he, too, is afforded when he is dealing with his own issues. And frankly, I submit that he was just trying to detract from those issues by making a spectacle of Mr. Mangione."
Mangione’s Attorney: He was on display for everyone to see in the biggest staged perp walk I've ever seen in my career. What was the mayor doing at this press conference.. the mayor should know more than anyone about the presumption of innocence that he, too, is afforded when he… pic.twitter.com/CerCRk1aXp
— Acyn (@Acyn) December 23, 2024
In September, Adams was indicted on federal charges of fraud, bribery, and solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national. A new report over the weekend lays out the significant lengths Adams went to not only protect but actively promote an NYPD chief accused of sexual misconduct. In other words, of all people, Adams doesn't have much business telling any of us who's good and who's evil.
Agnifilo further questioned the spectacle that law enforcement and politicians like Adams are trying to make out of Mangione. “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.”
All important questions!
Notably, no members of Mangione's family attended the hearing. His courtroom supporters largely consisted of women, who reportedly "appeared visibly emotional" as he entered the room. None of this should be surprising in light of how large swaths of the internet reacted to the first images that featured mere inches of his face.
“Free Luigi” protesters galore outside:
— Erik Uebelacker (@uebey.bsky.social) December 23, 2024 at 7:06 AM
Since Mangione was apprehended in Pennsylvania for allegedly killing Thompson earlier this month, he's emerged as a symbol of anti-capitalist resistance in some spaces. His 250-word manifesto rails against the cruelty and violence of the for-profit health insurance industry. Despite Adams and the NYPD's best attempts to frame themselves as the heroes by staging Mangione's perp walk, the spectacle only served to further iconize him. Outside the courthouse, a gauntlet of protesters carried signs that read "DENY DEFEND DEPOSE," a health insurance industry slogan that Thompson's killer wrote on the shell casings of the bullets used to kill him, as well as "FREE LUIGI." And, as the presence of dozens of women supporting Mangione in the courtroom would suggest, it doesn't hurt that he's objectively good-looking.
