this post was submitted on 25 Apr 2025
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Luigi Mangione is accused of stalking United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson and shooting him to death on Dec. 4, 2024.

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[–] Nougat@fedia.io 214 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Solidarity aside, whenever you are arraigned, any lawyer worth their salt will advise you to plead not guilty, because entering a guilty plea means it's over, move on to sentencing, where you have no leverage at all.

You can always change a not guilty plea to a guilty plea later, if a plea deal offered by the prosecution is acceptable to you. This is especially relevant in a case where the death penalty is on the table, but also applies to the possibility of reduced charges or penalties in any case.

I'll also add that this case could well end up with an Alford plea. In short, where the defendant asserts innocence, does not admit to the criminal act, but accepts the sentence because they believe that a jury would find them guilty based on the evidence. Again, this is definitely related to a case where the death penalty is on the table.

[–] thanksforallthefish@literature.cafe 141 points 2 days ago (12 children)

I'd be very disappointed in any jury who found him guilty

[–] jjagaimo@sh.itjust.works 115 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Having been on a jury,

People are dumb and have no empathy

[–] Palerider@feddit.uk 68 points 1 day ago

~~Having been on a jury~~

People are dumb and have no empathy

[–] BakerBagel@midwest.social 17 points 1 day ago

People might not have empathy, but even less people are going to want to side with an insurance company

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[–] Nougat@fedia.io 29 points 2 days ago (5 children)

Ideally, a jury's responsibility is to weigh the evidence and find whether the evidence supports a guilty verdict beyond a reasonable doubt.

There has been no jury selection yet, let alone presentation of evidence. I would guess that any jury nullification would depend on a defense tactic of "Yes, my client committed this act, and his motive was to prevent UHC from directly causing the deaths of their customers by refusing to honor legitimate claims or by delaying payment of claims." There might be something there, especially since UHC changed its stance on something (I forget exactly what right now) in the wake of their CEO being killed.

But that would be a really difficult defense to mount. You'd basically be admitting to the act and hoping that at least one person on the jury would A) agree with your defense, and B) be willing to hold out over it, and C) not be replaced by an alternate for "failure to follow jury instructions" or some such thing.

Again, since a jury has not even been selected, I won't speculate on what evidence gets presented and what evidence (if any) ends up being excluded. By extension, I cannot agree with your above comment.

Please note that I am also not saying "He's guilty, he should hang", because that would also entail speculating on evidence.

[–] Zaktor@sopuli.xyz 20 points 1 day ago

They don't have to say outright that the guy was scum and got what he deserved, just question why the federal charges are being brought while there's a state case and ask questions about how many other people would have a good reason to want this health insurance executive dead. You can introduce the message without abandoning all other defense and saying it explicitly.

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[–] Charlxmagne@lemmy.world 24 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Realistically they'll try arrange one that will. They're going to try secure a guilty verdict by any means necessary to make an example out of him.

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[–] Iheartcheese@lemmy.world 128 points 2 days ago (2 children)

He's guilty of stealing my heart tho

[–] cygnus@lemmy.ca 61 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Why, is he made of cheese?

[–] Iheartcheese@lemmy.world 53 points 2 days ago (1 children)

whatever he's made of id eat the shit out of him.

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[–] Duamerthrax@lemmy.world 123 points 1 day ago (3 children)
[–] BakerBagel@midwest.social 76 points 1 day ago (1 children)

He couldn't have done it! He was having a couple beers with me at the time that CEO died

[–] Glytch@lemmy.world 27 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I remember that night! He was buying rounds for the whole bar, what a great guy!

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[–] RedditIsDeddit@lemmy.world 88 points 1 day ago (16 children)

Luigi Mangione is a hero of the people.

[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 40 points 1 day ago

Nah he was just framed as one

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[–] PunkRockSportsFan@fanaticus.social 72 points 1 day ago (17 children)

That kid didn’t do it. They are railroading him too hard and committing too many procedural violations for it to be anything but a setup.

Any normal case a judge would throw everything out for how prejudicial the state has behaved.

The face they don’t care how blatantly prejudicial they are shows they don’t care if he did it or not.

He didn’t do it.

The CEOs wife had hmm killed for meeting his side piece there.

The assassin was from El Salvador or something.

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[–] PurpleSkull@lemm.ee 71 points 2 days ago

Who's that guy? Doesn't look like the guy they were searching for. At all.

[–] misteloct@lemmy.dbzer0.com 67 points 1 day ago

Luigi is a hero. But not because he killed a CEO, or anyone. Because he was framed by the government, dragged through the mud, humiliated publicly, and held his head high standing 10 feet tall. Not guilty plea is nothing less than I expected. We should all take note of his example. They can't beat us all if we resist.

[–] minorkeys@lemmy.world 66 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Free this man. The wealthy psychopaths need something to be fearful of as it's the only emotional trigger that will keep their behavior from genociding the poor.

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[–] Allonzee@lemmy.world 61 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I told you he didn't do it!

[–] masterofn001@lemmy.ca 18 points 1 day ago (2 children)
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[–] Snowpix@lemmy.ca 53 points 1 day ago

If the eyebrows don't fit, you must acquit.

[–] Dojan@pawb.social 51 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Yeah that tracks. He was walking my dough at the time.

[–] snausagesinablanket@lemmy.world 40 points 2 days ago (2 children)

He was walking my dough at the time

Is that a new way to make bread?

[–] johnpmac@lemm.ee 51 points 1 day ago (1 children)

“He who saves his country commits no crime “

[–] Makhno@lemmy.world 15 points 1 day ago

Watch out, fascists love that motto

[–] jaykrown@lemm.ee 42 points 1 day ago

Good, honestly we don't even know if he's the person who did the crime.

[–] Maeve@kbin.earth 41 points 2 days ago (4 children)

Federal prosecutors claimed in their new filing that Mangione deserves the death penalty because of "the impact of the victim's death upon his family, friends and co-workers" and because "he expressed intent to target an entire industry and rally political and social opposition to that industry, by engaging in an act of lethal violence."

I just want to remind everyone of the impact of many of Thompson's murders on their family, friend, and co-workers, all in the service of the money masters' sheer, unadulterated, insatiable greed.

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[–] merdaverse@lemmy.world 41 points 1 day ago

Well, that settles it then. Better release him for the sake of Government Efficiency and all that.

[–] Hossenfeffer@feddit.uk 28 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Seeing the way Luigi was carrying himself, and his facial expressions, makes me wonder. Does he actually have a cast-iron allibi just waiting to be revealed?

[–] spicehoarder@lemm.ee 17 points 20 hours ago (3 children)

I have not seen genuine evidence it was actually him. This wouldn't even be the first or last time evidence was planted on someone to paint a narrative.

The way I see it, they needed a scapegoat. Because how do you just lose a murderer in broad daylight?

There's no way someone smart enough to do all that somehow gets hungry and loafs around at a McDonald's? The real killer collected his bounty and is living on a remote island by now.

They needed to do anything to stop copycats from popping up, and they did an okay job at doing so.

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[–] GoodOleAmerika@lemmy.world 27 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Dude was with me in Bahamas

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[–] xc2215x@lemmy.world 27 points 1 day ago

Good. All the best to him.

[–] Uranus_Hz@lemm.ee 26 points 1 day ago (1 children)

World needs fewer Elons and more Luigis

[–] tfm@europe.pub 23 points 1 day ago (3 children)

The world needs no Elons at all

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[–] mechoman444@lemmy.world 25 points 1 day ago (1 children)

He should be acquitted specifically to make a point. A certain type of individual may or may not be safe if said person performs against the interest of their constituents.

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[–] anas@lemmy.world 25 points 1 day ago

He can’t have done it, I saw him on the day and I don’t live in the US. He’s telling the truth.

[–] jasonwnclife@lemm.ee 25 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Does the public have any information on the evidence they have that he did it? What I have read about all sounds like a weak case with what I suspect is a mountain of inadmissible evidence gathered by methods outside of laws that would apply to the non elite class.

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[–] ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.works 23 points 1 day ago (1 children)
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[–] raynethackery@lemmy.world 16 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

Prosecutor: Could you find defendant guilty?

Potential juror: I could.

Narrator: They couldn't.

[–] Phoenicianpirate@lemm.ee 16 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

I don't think jury nullification will be needed. I legit think that Luigi didn't do it. Meaning a simple acquittal is all what is needed.

As for the real killer? I hope he lived a quiet life.

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