Judge dismisses terror-related murder charges against Luigi Mangione

A New York state judge on Tuesday dismissed state terrorism charges against Luigi Mangione, but kept second-degree murder charges in connection with the December killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

New York Judge Gregory Carro tossed charges of murder in furtherance of an act of terrorism and murder in the second degree as a crime of terrorism against Mangione, ruling the charges were “legally insufficient.” Carro ruled that prosecutors presented “legally sufficient evidence of all other counts, including Murder in the Second Degree.

While the People place great emphasis on defendant’s ‘ideological’ motive, there is no indication in the statute that a murder committed for ideological reasons (in this case, the defendant’s apparent desire to draw attention to what he perceived as inequities or greed within the American health care system), fits within the definition of terrorism, without establishing the necessary element of an intent to intimidate or coerce,” Carro wrote in his ruling.

Mangione, 27, still faces federal charges and other state charges in Pennsylvania, all of which he has pleaded not guilty to.

Defense lawyers have argued for the New York state charges to be dismissed, contending that their client was facing double jeopardy with state and federal charges. Carro rejected the defense’s argument, calling the double jeopardy argument “premature.”

“This court is not persuaded that proceeding to trial in the state case first will cause the defendant severe prejudice, and the defendant’s claim that any state trial testimony will prejudice his federal trial is merely speculative,” he wrote.

Instead, Carro suggested that the killing of Thompson did not meet the law’s definition of terrorism.

While the defendant was clearly expressing an animus toward UHC, and the health care industry generally, it does not follow that his goal was to ‘intimidate and coerce a civilian population,’ and indeed, there was no evidence presented of such a goal,” Carro wrote.

The judge set hearings for Mangione’s case to begin on Dec. 1. A trial date has not yet been set.

“We respect the Court’s decision and will proceed on the remaining nine counts, including Murder in the Second Degree,” Danielle Filson, a spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, said in a statement.

Mangione’s attorneys did not immediately return a request for comment.