Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old suspect in the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, appeared in a Manhattan courthouse on February 21st, facing murder and state terror charges. Mangione’s attorney in New York, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, argued in court that Mangione’s constitutional rights were violated during his “perp walk” back in December.
She first argued that this perp walk was a violation of Mangione’s constitutional rights, as a perp walk is unconstitutional if not used for a “legitimate law enforcement objective,” citing a New York Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruling, in Lauro v. Charles. Friedman Agnifilo also argued that Mangione was being used as “political fodder” when New York officials and politicians made a theatrical show of transporting him from Pennsylvania to New York, where he faces state and federal charges. This perp walk included dozens of armed police men, hundreds of camera angles, and… New York’s mayor Eric Adams.
Eric Adams faced scrutiny earlier that month when he made disparaging comments about Mangione, and said publicly in an interview that he wanted to be included in Mangione’s perp walk. Adams said, “I’m not going to just allow [Mangione] to come into our city. I wanted to look him in the eye and state that, ‘You carried out this terrorist act in my city, the city that the people of New York love.’ And I wanted to be there to show the symbolism of that.” Mayor Adams did not once mention that Mangione has not yet been convicted of these crimes, nor did he ever use the word “alleged” in reference to these charges.
However, not everyone thinks critically of Mangione. He has received a surprising positive response from the public, particularly through his GoFundMe campaign, which has raised over 700,000 dollars. These supporters believe that Luigi is being unjustly treated and see him as a victim of unfortunate circumstances rather than a criminal. They often say that his actions have been misunderstood, and that the legal process has not fairly represented his situation. Despite his alleged crimes, his story has resonated with many, as shown through the donations towards his legal expenses. The conflicting views on Mangione highlight the complexity of this case.
Mangione also faces charges in Pennsylvania, where he is represented by Thomas Dickey. Dickey filed several motions earlier this week arguing that the Pennsylvania charges are based on evidence that was “received as a fruit of an illegal stop, seizure, detention, and/or arrest.” Dickey also argued that Mangione was unlawfully detained for over 17 minutes before he was read his Miranda rights, and that the Pennsylvania police gave him food in order to get his DNA. Mangione has not yet made a plea in Pennsylvania.
The results of Mangione’s case remain uncertain, leaving many of our questions unanswered and creating a sense of anticipation for the outcome. Despite the varying opinions and public interest, many aspects of this case are still under review. Until the final ruling is made, the uncertainty remains, keeping both supporters and critics on edge about what the future holds for Luigi and his case.
