A U.S. judge has dismissed federal murder and weapons charges against Luigi Mangione, ruling that the counts were legally incompatible with the stalking offences he still faces.
U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett in Manhattan said she was constrained by Supreme Court precedents that set narrow conditions for applying federal violent crime laws.
Judge found that the murder and weapons charges against Luigi Mangione could proceed only if connected to a qualifying crime of violence.
The stalking charges remaining in the indictment did not meet this standard because the law recognises stalking as conduct that is not inherently violent and not always intentional.
Garnett noted that the conclusion may appear bewildering, describing the legal framework as tortured and strange.
Margaret Garnett added that the law, not public intuition, must guide the court, even when the alleged conduct involves crossing state lines and carrying a handgun fitted with a silencer.
Mangione, 27, still faces murder charges in a separate case brought by New York state prosecutors and could face life imprisonment if convicted on the federal stalking counts. No trial date has been set in the state case.
Federal prosecutor Dominic Gentile said the government has not decided whether to appeal the dismissal. Defence lawyer Karen Agnifilo called the ruling incredible and said the team was relieved after the hearing.
Thompson, who led the health insurance business of UnitedHealth Group, was killed outside the Hilton Midtown hotel on 4 December 2024. Mangione was arrested in Pennsylvania five days later and pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Legal experts said the ruling reflects a broader effort by the Supreme Court to stop prosecutors from stretching vague statutes to bring violent crime charges.
Scott Sundby, a professor at the University of Miami, said the question is not whether the alleged conduct appears violent but whether the statute itself is defined with enough precision to qualify as a crime of violence.
He said the court is wary of giving prosecutors too much power through flexible interpretations.
In a separate ruling, Garnett found that police were allowed to search Mangione’s backpack when he was arrested. The items found inside, including a pistol, silencer and journal entries, will be admissible at trial.
She said officers acted within standard practice when checking a bag that might contain dangerous objects and that federal investigators would have discovered the contents through a warrant in any case.
Federal jury selection is scheduled for September, with trial proceedings expected to begin on 12 October.
China’s growing use of electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles took centre stage at the Beijing Auto Show 2026, which opened on 2...
More than 1,000 firefighters are battling to contain two major wildfires in northern Japan for a fourth consecu...
Residents in central Gaza are preparing to vote in municipal elections on Saturday (25 April), marking the first ballot in the Strip since 2006. Th...
Militants have staged coordinated attacks in Mali’s capital, Bamako, and several locations across the country, the army said on Saturday (...
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Azerbaijan for talks with President Ilham Aliyev, holding meetings in G...
A fourth day of testimony in Luigi Mangione’s pretrial hearing was postponed on Friday after the murder suspect reported feeling unwell, prompting Judge Gregory Carro to adjourn proceedings.
Luigi Mangione told a prison guard he had a 3D-printed gun in his backpack after his arrest for allegedly gunning down a UnitedHealthcare executive, according to testimony at a New York City court hearing to determine whether prosecutors can use his statements and other evidence at trial.
Luigi Mangione, the 27-year-old man accused of fatally shooting United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan a year ago, appeared in a New York City court on Monday (1 December) for a pre-trial hearing.
A New York judge has dismissed terrorism-related charges against Luigi Mangione in the killing of health executive Brian Thompson, though he still faces murder charges and a federal case seeking the death penalty.
Argentina has reiterated its interest in resuming talks with the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands, a disputed archipelago in the South Atlantic, after reports that an internal Pentagon email suggested reviewing Washington’s support for the UK’s claim amid tensions over the Iran war.
Diplomatic efforts to end the Iran war are intensifying, with the White House confirming that U.S. President Donald Trump will send special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner to Islamabad for talks with Iran under Pakistani mediation.
Russian emergency services have contained a major fire at the Tuapse oil refinery on the Black Sea coast, local officials said on Thursday, ending a four-day effort after a Ukrainian drone strike.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Azerbaijan for talks with President Ilham Aliyev, holding meetings in Gabala on Saturday (25 April) during a working visit to the country.
Slovenia’s national broadcaster RTV Slovenia has confirmed it will not air the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, joining a widening boycott over Israel’s participation.
More than 1,000 firefighters are battling to contain two major wildfires in northern Japan for a fourth consecutive day, as flames advance towards residential areas and force thousands to flee.
Militants have staged coordinated attacks in Mali’s capital, Bamako, and several locations across the country, the army said on Saturday (25 April), in an assault apparently involving jihadist and Tuareg-led groups.
Two men were killed after the United States carried out a missile strike on a suspected drug-trafficking boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Friday (24 April), the military said.
Argentina has reiterated its interest in resuming talks with the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands, a disputed archipelago in the South Atlantic, after reports that an internal Pentagon email suggested reviewing Washington’s support for the UK’s claim amid tensions over the Iran war.
China has urged the European Union to take its concerns seriously over new cybersecurity and digital regulations, warning they could create difficulties for Chinese companies operating in Europe.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment