极速赛车

An attorney for Luigi Mangione, the man accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, told a New York state court judge on Friday that his constitutional rights are being violated in the state case as federal prosecutors are "hanging the death penalty over" his head on related charges.

In a brief hearing, defense counsel Karen Agnifilo told Judge Gregory Carro that she had been unable to meet with her client before the hearing and argued he was being treated differently than other defendants, in part due to his being charged for "one event" in three jurisdictions — New York state court, Pennsylvania state court and the federal Southern District of New York.

A throng of young Mangione supporters in the courthouse hallway on Friday cheered the appearance of Agnifilo before the proceedings. Mangione eventually entered the courtroom shackled and wearing what appeared to be a bulletproof vest over a tidy green sweater with khaki slacks.

The judge denied Agnifilo's request for Mangione to be uncuffed during the hearing, citing court officers' security concerns, before allowing prosecutors to lay out how they planned to turn over nearly a terabyte of digital evidence, including surveillance videos from across Manhattan, DNA evidence and police body camera footage.

When the judge indicated his intent to set a schedule for the defense to file motions in the case, Agnifilo pushed back, arguing that forcing her to make arguments in the state court case while she was negotiating with federal prosecutors could hurt their chances in that possible capital punishment case.

"They are still deciding whether or not to seek the death penalty against Mr. Mangione," Agnifilo said. "That is where our focus is."

"By defending ourselves in state court, we are potentially providing fodder for the federal court case," she argued.

New York state prosecutors claim Mangione shot Thompson outside his midtown Manhattan hotel on Dec. 4, charging him with an 11-count indictment including murder and terrorism charges for the alleged targeted killing. Mangione was apprehended in Pennsylvania and pled not guilty to the charges in New York later that month.

Mangione also faces weapons charges in Pennsylvania based on what was found on him when he was apprehended at a local McDonald's.

Agnifilo also argued the defense needs more time to sift through evidence before motions are filed, saying there is "a very, very serious" search and seizure violation.

"We think our client's constitutional rights were violated in Pennsylvania," she said. "We want to have the opportunity to litigate that."

The defense attorney also highlighted that New York City Mayor Eric Adams and the chief of detectives had already sat down for interviews with HBO to discuss the arrest and their theories of the case, potentially tainting the jury pool.

"His right to a fair trial is continuously being impacted," Agnifilo argued. She also said his regular appearance in handcuffs in front of the press was exacerbating that issue.

The judge swept aside the arguments for delay, however, and set an April 9 deadline for the defense to file their motions.

"It's gotta start," Judge Carro said, adding that the sooner the defense filed motions, the sooner they could have a hearing to suppress any improperly obtained evidence. He said he would aim to rule on the motions by June 26.

Agnifilo then asked the judge for "a minute of privacy" with Mangione.

"You have to do it now. Right here," the judge said, as court officers hovered nearby and 60 reporters looked on from the gallery.

"I think Mr. Mangione is being treated differently," Agnifilo argued, making a record.

Judge Carro then questioned prosecutors on why Mangione has been held in federal custody in Brooklyn, despite an agreement that his New York state case would proceed before the related federal case.

"I mean, is there even an indictment?" Judge Carro said. "They're holding him on a complaint."

Agnifilo then acknowledged the defense had consented to federal custody but explained she did so against the backdrop of negotiations with federal prosecutors over whether they will pursue capital punishment. President Donald Trump has ordered prosecutors to seek the death penalty "for all crimes of a severity demanding its use."

"When they are hanging the death penalty over your head, you have no choice but to consent," Agnifilo said.

A state courts spokesperson did not immediately comment on Mangione's claims.

A spokesperson for the Manhattan district attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The state is represented by Joel Seidemann, Christopher Prevost and Zachary Kaplan of the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.

Mangione is represented by Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Marc Agnifilo and Jacob Kaplan of Agnifilo Intrater LLP.

The case is New York v. Luigi Mangione, indictment number IND-75657-24, in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York.

--Editing by Philip Shea.