(NEW YORK) -- Luigi Mangione is returning to federal court in Manhattan, where his attorneys will try to convince the judge to postpone his federal trial until next year.
On Wednesday, the defense will ask U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett to delay Mangione’s September 2026 trial until January 2027 so defense attorneys can ask the judge overseeing the state prosecution, Gregory Carro, to move the state trial from June 2026 to September 2026.
"As a result of these competing schedules, Mr. Mangione is now in the position of needing to prepare for two complicated and serious trials at the same time," defense attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo said in a letter ahead of Wednesday's hearing.
"Because Justice Carro scheduled the state trial for June 8, 2026, Mr. Mangione is now in the impossible position of having to review 800 jury questionnaires during the week of June 29, 2026, while on trial for second-degree murder in state court," she said. "As a practical matter, this would not be possible."
The defense also argued the effectiveness of Mangione's defense would be diminished without the rescheduling.
"Though fierce advocates for their clients, defense counsel cannot be in two places at once," Friedman Agnifilo said.
"Realistically, defense counsel cannot be defending Mr. Mangione in state court on second-degree murder charges that carry a maximum sentence of twenty-five years to life while, at the same time, also reviewing 800 questionnaires for a federal case that carries a maximum life sentence. Moreover, counsel will not be able to adequately prepare for the federal trial because they will be on trial in state court."
Mangione pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges after he was arrested for allegedly gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan in December 2024.
Federal prosecutors are opposed to delaying the trial.
"The concerns identified by the defense can be fully addressed through targeted modifications to the questionnaire process, rather than a wholesale continuance of the trial date in this case," prosecutor Sean Buckley wrote.
Mangione, 27, faces the possibility of life in prison if he's convicted in either case. Garnett previously threw out the federal charges that carry the possibility of the death penalty and Carro previously tossed out an enhancement to the state murder charges that said Mangione's alleged conduct amounted to terrorism.
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