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.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he sees progress between Israel and Lebanon after talks with Netanyahu, while Hezbollah has rejected a new ceasefire ...
Azerbaijan has strongly rejected allegations published by CNN claiming that its territory was used for Israeli military and intelligence operations ag...
Azerbaijan is once again at the centre of global climate diplomacy, hosting World Environment Day 2026 and bringing together international leaders, po...
The Eighth Global Environment Facility (GEF) Assembly has concluded in Samarkand, bringing together representatives from 186 countries to set environm...
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hosted Nigerien President Abdourahamane Tchiani in Ankara on Thursday, underscoring Türkiye’s growing engag...
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.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said in a statement that its Aerospace Force did not strike the Kuwait Airport passenger terminal on Wednesday, and that the destruction was instead caused by a failed U.S. Patriot missile.
Five Azerbaijani citizens have been killed and three others injured following drone attacks on two cargo vessels in the Sea of Azov, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry said on Friday.
Israel and Lebanon have agreed to implement a ceasefire after U.S.-backed talks in Washington. The deal requires Hezbollah to halt attacks and withdraw from southern Lebanon, while both sides will resume direct talks later this month aimed at reaching a broader agreement.
As Armenia heads toward parliamentary elections on 7 June, the country's relationship with Azerbaijan is emerging as one of the defining issues of the campaign, with analysts and international observers highlighting the role of regional politics in shaping voters’ mindsets.
Armenia will hold parliamentary elections on 7 June 2026, a vote that will shape the country’s political direction for the next five years. Understanding how the electoral system converts votes into parliamentary power is key to following the outcome and its wider regional implications.
People across Gaza are facing a worsening humanitarian crisis, with millions struggling to access food, clean water, shelter and medical care as the conflict continues.
The next time a goal goes in during a Champions League final, fans around the world could watch it from every angle at once — frozen, rotated and replayed in ways that were impossible only a few years ago.
An ageing, poorly insured shadow armada now accounts for around one-sixth of the world's tanker fleet. Hidden by design and fraught with risk, it operates beyond conventional oversight. A maritime law expert explains how it works, who profits, and why much of the world looks the other way.
Azerbaijan has strongly rejected allegations published by CNN claiming that its territory was used for Israeli military and intelligence operations against Iran, describing the report as entirely baseless and demanding a retraction.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hosted Nigerien President Abdourahamane Tchiani in Ankara on Thursday, underscoring Türkiye’s growing engagement with Africa’s Sahel region as geopolitical alliances continue to shift.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment