Attorneys for Luigi Mangione, the man charged with fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last December, attempted during a Dec. 1 pretrial hearing to convince a New York court to exclude evidence against Mangione they claim was illegally obtained.
According to AP News, the hearing began with previously unseen video and audio recordings from a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania, where Mangione was arrested five days after the Dec. 4 shooting. At the time of his arrest, police discovered a notebook, a 9 mm handgun, and other objects in a backpack that Mangione had with him.
Prosecutors say the items demonstrate Mangione’s intent to target Thompson, but his attorneys argued in court Monday that the items should not be presented in the state murder trial, as the police did not have a search warrant when they checked his bag.
Mangione’s attorneys are also attempting to exclude statements that he made to police, such as giving a false name, before police informed him of his right to remain silent. AP News reported that the attorneys argue the police’s conduct during the arrest was unconstitutional and jeopardizes Mangione’s right to a fair trial.
According to USA Today, Mangione is charged with nine felony counts, including second-degree murder. He also faces charges in Pennsylvania and federal death penalty prosecution. He previously faced terrorism charges, but a New York judge dismissed those counts in September, CatholicVote reported at the time. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
AP News reported, “Eliminating the gun and notebook would be critical wins for Mangione’s defense and a major setback for prosecutors, depriving them a possible murder weapon and evidence they say points to motive.”
The outlet added that court officials have said the hearing could last more than a week.
Both inside and outside the courtroom, Mangione’s supporters protested the hearing, various news outlets reported. According to AP News, one supporter within the courtroom wore a T-shirt reading “Without a warrant, it’s not a search, it’s a violation.”
Outside, people held signs that read “FREE LUIGI” and chanted in his defense, USA Today reported. Reuters reported that after the shooting Mangione “became a folk hero to some Americans who decry steep healthcare costs.”
As CatholicVote previously reported, Thompson was shot and killed outside a hotel in Manhattan, and Mangione, part of a prominent Catholic family in Baltimore, was arrested as the prime suspect.
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