In short:
Luigi Mangione has pleaded not guilty to state murder and terror charges.
Mr Mangione is accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel.
What’s next?
Prosecutors say the state case is expected to run parallel to a federal prosecution.
Interesting. Is he going with the “you got the wrong guy” defence?
This is the normal way to begin a jury trial.
He’s not admitting guilt, requiring the prosecutor to prove (beyond a reasonable doubt) to a jury that he’s guilty of the charges.
If I understand correctly, NY has chosen to charge Murder 1 with a terrorism enhancement, which requires the state to prove claims about his mental state, intent, and motivation.
I assume that the defense is hoping to push for some sort of settlement latter in the pre-trial process, and/or to cast sufficient doubt over the specific elements of the charges brought
I mean, the police sculpted his eyebrows before extradition to make him present more like the assailant. He does not look like the same person, so of course he is. He seems like an innocent person who’s had charges pinned on him for the appearance of a functioning justice system.
They did? Do you have a source for that?
Look at him when he was initially arrested and then in the PR orchestrated extradition photos.
My partner was listening to some online people that said he was given a good treatment by the jailhouse barber and that is why he has a better haircut and shave than the average perp but he was probably only in holding not full on jail so he might not have been where a inmate barber was available so it could have been done by the state to make him look more put together and menacing to his “terror” targets.
This is requirement in US Court system to even have a trial. If you admit guilt, they skip right to sentencing
Wait… Is this not a requirement elsewhere?
There are reasons why someone might admit guilt when they didnt do it. A fall guy for the mafia, for example. In that case an honest court system might want a trial to uncover the truth, rather than just lock up the patsy.
Ah.
It seems like the court system you describe is considered an investigative body.
Under the US system, the investigation proceeds independent of the courts. The fall guy pleading guilty doesn’t stop the investigation.
Ah ok. Didn’t know this. Thanks.
Just base on the first pictures they shared, they did get the wrong guy.
Well it can’t have been him because he was getting drunk in Canada with me at the time of the shooting, obviously.
He’s going with the “Go ahead and make me a martyr; I fucking dare you” defense.
Probably the “I’m not guilty of this exact crime” defense. The burden of proof for murder 1, let alone terrorism, is a lot higher than murder 2.
In effect he’s saying “I may have murdered him, but I didn’t murder 1 him.”
At least if I’m understanding Legal Eagle correctly.
I think pleading guilty skips the jury trial entirely.