Mangione’s attorneys filed a court paperwork on Monday requesting a laptop in jail so they could view case files, recordings, and other data pertaining to Brian Thompson’s shooting.
In jail, Luigi Mangione is requesting a laptop, but only for legal reasons and not to communicate with anyone while he awaits trial for the murder of the CEO of UnitedHealthcare.
In a court brief released late Monday, Mangione’s attorneys suggested that he be given a laptop that is set up specifically to allow him to access a large number of documents, videos, and other materials related to the Brian Thompson shooting case. In the federal prison where Mangione is being kept, similar restricted laptop provisions have been established for several other offenders.
A request for comment from the Manhattan district attorney’s office, which is bringing Mangione’s uncommon New York state allegation of murder as an act of terrorism, was not immediately answered. The laptop request is being resisted by prosecutors, who claim that some witnesses have been threatened, according to Mangione’s attorneys.
In her letter, defense attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo stated that none of the purported threats had anything to do with Mr. Mangione.
The 26-year-old Mangione is charged with shooting Thompson dead in December during a UnitedHealthcare investor conference outside a hotel in Manhattan. Thompson, 50, had two high school-aged children and spent decades working for UnitedHealthcare and its parent business.
Mangione has entered a not guilty plea to the New York state charges. He is an Ivy League computer science graduate from a Maryland real estate dynasty. There is also a concurrent federal case against him that might result in the death penalty. He was captured days after Thompson’s killing, but he has not pleaded to the federal charges or to the state-level gun possession and other counts in Pennsylvania.
Some health insurers quickly shifted to remote work or online shareholder meetings after Thompson’s murder shocked the business community.
Meanwhile, the lawsuit served as a vehicle for the annoyance that some Americans felt toward health insurance providers. Authorities claim that Mangione’s writings and statements on bullets found at the scene reveal hatred for corporate America and health insurers.
Some have praised the alleged murderer, contributed to his legal defense, and even flocked to his court appearances. Elected officials and others have criticized the applause for what they perceive to be vigilante justice and ideological violence.
In a statement, Mangione thanked supporters through his attorneys.
His attorneys stated in their brief on Monday that even if he were to receive a laptop, it would not be able to play video games, connect to the internet, or play movies or other entertainment. But from his jail cell, he would be able to review thousands of hours of video and more than 15,000 pages of papers that prosecutors collected and had to give to his lawyers.
Otherwise, when he meets with his attorneys, he can view the material. However, they claim that he cannot attend during enough hours of the day to adequately assist in preparing his defense.
