Federal prosecutors have opted not to challenge a federal judges decision that removed capital punishment from consideration in the high-profile case involving the alleged killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
According to One America News, Deputy U.S. Attorney Sean Buckley notified U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett in a letter filed Friday that the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York will not seek review from the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The decision leaves 27-year-old Ivy League graduate Luigi Mangione ineligible for the death penalty in the upcoming federal trial.
The Department of Justice will not seek interlocutory review of the Courts Order prosecutors wrote, signaling a retreat from the harshest possible federal punishment in a case involving the death of a father of two. Instead of a federal murder charge, Mangione will be prosecuted on a federal stalking count that authorities contend ultimately resulted in Thompsons death.
Jury selection in the federal case is scheduled to begin on September 8th, with opening statements set for October 13th. The timeline underscores how slowly the justice system can move, even in cases that shake public confidence in safety and corporate leadership.
Separately, Mangione faces a state murder trial under New York law beginning in June, where he has been charged with murder and could receive life in prison if convicted. Because New York has abolished the death penalty, the maximum punishment at the state level is permanent incarceration rather than execution.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to Thompsons murder, setting the stage for a legal battle that will test both federal and state prosecutors. For many Americans who believe that the most heinous crimes warrant the strongest possible penalties, the Justice Departments decision not to pursue the death penalty will likely raise fresh questions about whether the system still delivers true accountability.
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