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A Manhattan federal judge on Friday ruled that Luigi Mangione will not face the death penalty, dismissing the capital count in his high-profile federal trial and paving the way for a life sentence without the possibility of release.

The decision comes in the case over the December 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan, a crime that has gripped New York and sparked nationwide attention.

Death Penalty Foreclosed by Federal Court

In a written ruling issued ahead of a scheduled court hearing, U.S. District Judge Margaret M. Garnett explained that the “chief practical effect” of her decision is to remove the death penalty as a sentencing option. This limits prosecutors from seeking capital punishment against Mangione under federal law.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York is foreclosed from pursuing the death penalty,” Judge Garnett wrote.

The ruling sets the stage for a federal jury trial that could still result in a life sentence without parole. Jury selection is set to begin Sept. 8.

Federal Charges Center on Stalking Laws

Mangione faces prosecution under two federal stalking statutes, which prosecutors allege he violated in causing Thompson’s death. Judge Garnett noted that her ruling does not affect the question of guilt or innocence—the jury will still weigh the evidence and determine whether Mangione is responsible.

Judge Garnett also warned that the government is likely to appeal her decision to remove the death penalty, a move that could accelerate legal maneuvering before the trial begins.

Separate State Case to Proceed

In parallel, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office has requested to move forward with its own murder trial against Mangione, starting July 1. Under New York state law, capital punishment is not permitted, meaning life imprisonment is the maximum sentence if Mangione is convicted in state court.

Evidence Upheld

In a separate Friday ruling, Judge Garnett declined to suppress evidence obtained from a search of Mangione’s backpack during his Dec. 9, 2024, arrest in Pennsylvania. That decision allows prosecutors to use the material in both the federal and state proceedings.

Legal Teams

The federal government is represented by Dominic Gentile, Jun Xiang, Alexandra Messiter, and Thomas Wright of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.

Mangione’s defense includes Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Marc Agnifilo, and Jacob Kaplan of Agnifilo Intrater LLP; Avraham Moskowitz, Eylan Schulman, and Christopher Neff of Moskowitz Colson Ginsberg & Schulman LLP; and Paresh Patel of the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the District of Maryland.

As the Mangione Won’t Face Death Penalty ruling reverberates through both federal and state courts, attention now turns to whether jurors will sentence him to life without parole in a case that has captured national headlines.