Luigi Mangione, accused of killing former UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, is at the center of a high-stakes legal battle where his lawyers are vehemently arguing to remove the possibility of a death penalty sentence. During a September 20 court appearance, Mangione’s legal team contended before a judge that authorities had unfairly prejudiced his case, likening his arrest to a “Marvel movie” spectacle, a claim reported by CNN. They asserted that in a case drawing significant public interest, the prosecution's pursuit of capital punishment merely feeds into this public spectacle.

The defense attorneys are actively seeking the dismissal of Mangione’s federal case. This push comes after U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi publicly stated, prior to his April indictment, that capital punishment was justified for a “premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.” Mangione's legal team has highlighted Bondi’s comments, along with other official actions, as critically damaging. Specifically, they cited a “highly choreographed perp walk” where Mangione, then 27, was paraded on a pier by armed officers. In a court filing, his lawyers stated that these actions “have violated Mr. Mangione’s constitutional and statutory rights and have fatally prejudiced this death penalty case,” according to CNN.

Further challenging the process, Mangione’s defense team implored U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett to “correct the errors made by the government and prevent this case from proceeding as a death penalty prosecution.” They argue that the timing of Bondi's April announcement—which marked the first time the Justice Department sought a capital case since President Donald Trump returned to office and pledged to revive federal executions—suggests the decision was “based on politics, not merit.” The legal team also believes, as reported by CNN, that Bondi’s public remarks unduly influenced the grand jury, ultimately leading to Mangione’s indictment.

Federal prosecutors have been given a deadline of October 31 to formally respond to Mangione’s legal team’s comprehensive filing. Mangione himself is slated to return to court on December 5, a date set just days following the commencement of pretrial hearings, as the legal proceedings continue to unfold.

This latest filing from Mangione’s team follows a significant development in New York City on September 16, where Judge Gregory Carro dismissed two terror-related murder charges against him. Although his first-degree murder and second-degree murder charges were dropped in that instance, CNN reported that Mangione still faces a count of murder in the second degree. The decision to dismiss the terrorism charges stemmed from the defense’s argument that he should not face such charges under New York state legislation. New York’s definition of terrorism-related crimes refers specifically to attacks on multiple civilians, and since Mangione is only accused of killing Brian Thompson, his legal team contended that he was unfairly charged under this designation.