A New York judge has tossed out terrorism-related charges against Luigi Mangione, the 27-year-old accused of shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel late last year.
New York Supreme Court Justice Gregory Carro ruled that prosecutors hadn’t presented enough evidence to prove Mangione’s alleged actions met the strict legal definition of terrorism. That means Mangione won’t face the most severe state penalties, but he’s still going to trial for second-degree murder and a string of other charges.
In a written decision filed with the court, Justice Carro explained why the terrorism counts couldn’t stick. He said prosecutors failed to show Mangione intended to “intimidate and coerce a civilian population” as required under state law.
“While there is no doubt that the crime at issue here is not ordinary ‘street crime’, it does not follow that all non-street crimes were meant to be included within the reach of the terrorism statute,” Carro wrote in the ruling.
He added that “every murder has the potential to induce some degree of fear”, but that alone doesn’t legally make an act terrorism.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office confirmed it will continue with the rest of the indictment. “We respect the Court’s decision and will proceed on the remaining nine counts, including Murder in the Second Degree,” spokesperson Danielle Filson said in a statement reported by the Washington Post.
What happens next to Luigi Mangione?
Mangione is due back in Manhattan court on December 1 for hearings to decide what evidence can be used at trial. A jury date hasn’t been set yet. If convicted of second-degree murder under state law, he could face a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.
That’s not the end of his legal fight. On top of the state case, Mangione is also facing federal charges for murder with a firearm and stalking. Unlike the state case, the federal prosecution does not include terrorism allegations, but US Attorney General Pam Bondi has already confirmed the government is seeking the death penalty.
“Luigi Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson — an innocent man and father of two young children — was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America,” Bondi said in an April statement.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty in both the state and federal cases. His lawyers have argued that facing two trials risks violating his constitutional rights, but the judge rejected claims of double jeopardy, pointing out that state and federal governments can legally pursue separate prosecutions in the same matter.
For now, Mangione remains in federal custody at a Brooklyn jail as his state case moves forward.
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