Luigi Mangione’s defense has filed a motion to dismiss most of the state charges against him related to the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Mangione’s attorney, asked the state court to dismiss the second-degree murder and weapons possession charges against her client, according to the filing.
That accounts for seven of the eight state charges, with the surviving charge being for the possession of an allegedly fraudulent identification card “which took place on a different date and location than the conduct in the remaining counts,” the motion says.
The others should be dismissed because Mangione pleaded guilty today in federal court to charges related to Thompson’s death, the filing argues, contending “the dual prosecutions arising out of the same event” violated Mangione’s rights.
The motion alleges that the New York County District Attorney’s Office and the US Department of Justice improperly coordinated their efforts to ensure the state’s case would go to trial before the federal case in order to “avoid double jeopardy protections.”
Federal and state prosecutors “have sensationalized this case and misapplied statutes in an effort to overcharge him,” the motion alleges.
A spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said it is “prepared to litigate the defense motions.”
Mangione pleaded guilty to federal stalking charges in the killing of Thompson, ahead of the state case that is set to go to trial on September 8.
This post has been updated with additional information from the motion.