Luigi Mangione returns to court with a bold request for the judge

Luigi Mangione is set to appear in a New York courtroom on Monday for a pretrial hearing in the state case accusing him of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Mangione, who is currently being held at a federal detention centre, has not been seen publicly since mid-September, when a judge dismissed two terrorism-related charges linked to the same case.

Defence challenges restraints and evidence

In new filings submitted last week, Mangione’s legal team renewed its request for him to appear unshackled in court, asking that at least one hand be freed so he can write during proceedings.

His defence is also seeking to suppress several pieces of evidence, including statements he allegedly made during his 2024 arrest at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, as well as items recovered from a backpack.

Federal case resumes in January

Monday’s appearance is expected to be brief. Mangione is next scheduled to return to court on 9 January for a separate federal case in which he faces the death penalty.

He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Aasiya Nazir