On Monday, December 23, Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in broad daylight on the street outside of his New York City hotel on December 4, was arraigned in court. Mangione faced charges in a federal arraignment the week prior and has also faced charges in Pennsylvania – the state where he was arrested nearly a week after the murder.
Mangione wore a maroon sweater over a white collared shirt as he sat in court on Monday morning. When a crew of NYPD officers paraded him into the courtroom, he was shackled at the ankles, wrists, and around his middle. After hearing his charges from Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Gregory Carro, Mangione pleaded “not guilty.” Carro ordered Mangione to remain in custody until his trial, though he set a perfunctory bail of $1. He is currently being housed at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
Mangione’s lawyer, Karen Agnifilo, accused law enforcement of creating a spectacle out of her client with “absolutely unnecessary” perp walks, which she described as “perfectly choreographed” and “utterly political.”
She also sent a jab toward New York’s mayor, Eric Adams, a former NYPD captain currently in hot water amid accusations of federal corruption. “The mayor should know more than anyone about the presumption of innocence,” she said.
A spokesperson for Adams did not deny the claims that the mayor is parading Mangione for publicity but addressed the case. “The cold-blooded assassination of Brian Thompson – a father of two – and the terror it infused on the streets of New York City for days has since been sickeningly glorified, shining a spotlight on the darkest corners of the internet,” they said. “Mayor Adams’ priority is – and always has been – public safety, and he has repeatedly spoken about how social media is fueling the radicalization of our youth. Critics can say all they want, but showing up to support our law enforcement and sending the message to New Yorkers that violence and vitriol have no place in our city is who Mayor Eric Adams is to his core.”
Mangione’s next court date is set for February 21, 2025.
