Luigi Mangione court hearing fuels speculation of possible plea deal with federal prosecutors
Luigi Mangione trial nears as judge orders anonymous jury, sets pretrial steps
Luigi Mangione appeared in Manhattan court ahead of his state murder trial in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The judge ruled that jurors will remain anonymous and ordered prosecutors and the defense to work on a questionnaire to screen prospective jurors before jury selection begins Sept. 8.
NEW YORK - A plea deal could be on the table for Luigi Mangione, who is charged with the 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City.
Mangione plea deal?
What we know:
A last-minute hearing in Mangione's federal murder case has been scheduled for this Friday, fueling speculation about a possible deal with the prosecution to avoid a trial.
Luigi Mangione, accused of the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, attends a court hearing to rule on the admissibility of evidence and setting of trial date in New York, on May 18, 2026. (Photo by Jeenah Moon / POOL / AFP via Getty Image
The request for the hearing was made by prosecutors and Mangione's defense team.
The hearing is scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday.
Federal and state trials
Big picture view:
This last-minute hearing in the federal case comes just after a judge scheduled jury selection in Mangione's New York state trial to begin on Sept. 5.
The timing indicates Mangione's defense team may be pursuing a double-jeopardy argument in federal court. If successful, it could result in a plea deal that gets the state charges thrown out.
There were discussions about a possible plea deal for Mangione in June, but the conversations didn't amount to anything at the time.
The federal trial is currently set to begin next year on Jan. 5.
The Source: This story is based on reporting by FOX 5 NY's Jessica Formoso.