Terrorism Charges Against Luigi Mangione Dismissed in New York State Case
A New York state judge has dismissed two terrorism-related murder charges against Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. During a hearing on Tuesday, Judge Gregory Carro ruled that the prosecution had failed to provide sufficient evidence to support the charges of first-degree murder in furtherance of an act of terrorism and second-degree murder as a crime of terrorism.
In his written ruling, Carro stated that prosecutors did not show that Mangione's actions were intended to "intimidate or coerce a civilian population, influence the policy of a unit of government by intimidation or coercion, or affect the conduct of a unit of government by murder, assassination, or kidnapping." He added, “There was no evidence presented that the defendant made any demands of government or sought any particular governmental policy change, let alone that he did so by intimidation or coercion.”
Despite the dismissal of the terrorism charges, Mangione still faces a second-degree murder charge in the state case, as well as a federal murder charge. If convicted of the remaining state charge, he faces a minimum sentence of 15 to 25 years in prison. His federal case is far more serious, with the Justice Department seeking the death penalty. Both the state and federal cases will proceed, as Judge Carro rejected the defense's request to delay the state trial until the federal one concludes. Pre-trial hearings are scheduled to begin on December 1st.
The killing of Brian Thompson has sparked a highly politicized public debate about the U.S. healthcare system, and Mangione has garnered a following of supporters. On Tuesday, a number of his supporters gathered outside the courthouse, with one woman wearing a T-shirt that read, “FREE LUIGI.” Despite the public and political nature of the case, the New York judge's ruling focused on the legal requirements of the state's terrorism law, which was created in the wake of the 9/11 attacks and requires intent to terrorize a broad population, not just a single individual.
