Luigi Mangione appears in NYC court for pretrial hearing on state murder charges

Luigi Mangione was back in a New York City courtroom Tuesday morning for a final pretrial hearing in his state murder case.

Mangione is accused of gunning down and killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024. Jury selection for the state trial begins Sept. 8. 

Jury selection and press access were discussed during Tuesday's hearing. 

Mangione entered the courtroom at around 9:45 a.m. wearing a gray suit and collared shirt. His hands were cuffed in front of him. He muttered to himself and scanned the gallery. 

The judge decided the jury will remain anonymous, which is not uncommon in a high-profile case. 

"There are concerns about jury tampering, and the idea of keeping jurors anonymous is so they're not subject to any purposeful tampering or any kind of pressure or public interaction whatsoever," legal expert Rich Schoenstein said. 

Schoenstein said it is also a safety measure. 

The judge sternly addressed submissions made by both parties regarding public and press access, calling the suggestion the defense made that the Manhattan DA's office is involved in the process "simply incorrect." 

The judge called claims of exclusion and secrecy without merit. He said the court is doing the opposite in trying to expand access, noting in addition that nearly 90 news organizations and media will be represented.   

The judge said the court is trying to expand access and confirmed there will be an overflow courtroom, in addition to the main courtroom. Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo said he wishes there were more overflow rooms, but "I'll take one."

The judge told both sides to get together to come up with questions for prospective jurors beyond the basic biographical ones that will be asked. 

"The purpose is to flesh out whether any prospective jurors have already formed an opinion about the case that would preclude them from hearing the evidence and hearing the judge's instructions," Schoenstein said. 

Mangione also faces federal charges for the fatal shooting.

The federal trial was recently pushed back after the judge said the two trials couldn't move forward at the same time. Jury selection in the federal trial will begin Jan. 5 with opening statements on Jan. 25. The federal trial will take about two to three weeks, according to the judge. 

Mangione has pleaded not guilty to both the state and federal charges.