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Luigi Mangione due back in court this morning
Mangione was summoned to criminal court by a judge last week for reasons that are still unclear.
NEW YORK - As he was escorted out of a New York courtroom, Luigi Mangione made a brief statement — "1+1 equals 2. This is the same trial twice. This is double jeopardy by any common sense definition" — after a judge set an earlier trial date in his state murder case.
What we know:
Mangione returned to state criminal court Friday in connection with the murder case stemming from the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The appearance came after a judge unexpectedly summoned him back to court last week, despite Mangione not previously being scheduled to return until May.
During Friday's appearance, the judge set a June 8 trial date for the state case, moving it ahead of the timeline in the parallel federal prosecution.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all state and federal charges related to Thompson’s killing.
Why the appearance raised questions
Court records have not publicly explained why Mangione was ordered back to court earlier than expected. At his last scheduled appearance, the judge said a ruling would be issued later on a defense request seeking the disclosure of evidence.
The sudden summons, without explanation, prompted renewed attention to the case’s procedural path and the overlap between the state and federal prosecutions.
What Mangione said
FOX 5 NY’s Michelle Ross reported that Mangione spoke briefly as he was escorted out of the courtroom, saying: "1+1 equals 2. This is the same trial twice. This is double jeopardy by any common sense definition."
Defense attorneys have argued that pursuing both state and federal cases raises constitutional concerns, while prosecutors maintain the two cases are legally distinct.
The backstory:
Thompson was killed in December, and Mangione was later charged in both state and federal court. Prosecutors in each jurisdiction are pursuing separate cases based on the same underlying killing, a strategy that has drawn public attention and legal scrutiny.
According to the Associated Press, the state court timeline now moves faster than the federal case, with the June trial date potentially setting up a race between jurisdictions.
What's next:
Additional pretrial proceedings are expected in the coming months as both cases move forward. The judge is still expected to rule on pending defense motions, including requests related to evidence disclosure.
The Source: This report is based on information from the Associated Press.