DOJ Declines Appeal After Judge Blocks Death Penalty in Mangione Trial
Federal prosecutors will not appeal a judge’s decision removing the death penalty from the federal case against Luigi Mangione, dramatically narrowing the potential punishment ahead of trial.
The move follows a ruling by U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett that dismissed federal murder and firearms charges that had made Mangione eligible for capital punishment.
According to 6abc Philadelphia, prosecutors notified the court Friday that they will not seek interlocutory review of the decision, effectively accepting the ruling.
Judge Garnett determined that the remaining federal stalking charge does not qualify as a “crime of violence,” a legal requirement under federal law to pursue the death penalty.
Her interpretation may seem “tortured and strange,” she wrote, but she said precedent required that outcome.
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Mangione, 27, has pleaded not guilty in both federal and state cases stemming from the December 2024 fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan.
The ruling reshapes the stakes in what had been positioned as a potential federal capital case. Without the qualifying charges, prosecutors cannot seek execution even if a conviction is secured.
The federal trial is expected to begin this fall, with jury selection scheduled for Sept. 8 and opening statements anticipated in October. Separately, Mangione faces a New York state murder trial set to begin June 8.
The case now proceeds without the possibility of capital punishment in federal court, but significant prison time remains on the table if prosecutors secure convictions.
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