Defense of Luigi Mangione asks Judge to prevent the request for death penalty

Luigi Mangione’s lawyers asked, on Friday (11), that a judge prevents the United States government from seeking the death penalty in the case of the death of Brian Thompson, CEO of Unitedhealth Group in New York last year.

Mangione’s lawyers stated in a document presented to the New York Federal Court that the announcement made by US Attorney General Pam Bondi on April 1 that prosecutors would seek the death penalty was “admittedly political” and violated government protocols.

“The US government intends to kill Mr. Mangione as a political blow,” the lawyers said.

The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Mangione, 26, has stated innocent of accusations of willful murder as an act of terrorism and illegal possession of weapons in the state of New York. He has not yet stated guilty in a parallel federal case, in which Bondi stated that prosecutors would seek the death penalty. Already New York does not foresee the death penalty for state accusations.

In an April 1 statement, Bondi said Thompson’s murder was a “premeditated murder and cold-blooded the United States.”

“After careful consideration, I ordered the federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case, while we implemented President Trump’s agenda to curb violent crimes and make America safe again,” said Bondi.

In the lawsuit on Friday, Mangione’s lawyers stated that the government did not follow protocols for decisions on death penalty, which include long investigation and opportunities for defense to contest.

The lawyers also cited a television appearance where Bondi said he ordered prosecutors to seek the death penalty because the victim was a CEO.

“The lawyer is unaware of any provision in the death penalty statute or in the Department of Justice’s death penalty protocol that allows the consideration of the social, economic or professional condition of an alleged homicide victim to determine whether or not to seek the death penalty,” said Mangione’s lawyers.

If Mangione is convicted in the federal case, the jury will determine in a separate phase of the trial is recommended the death penalty. Any recommendation should be unanimous, and the judge will be required to impose it.

Brian Thompson, the late CEO of the UnitedHealth Group insurance division, was shot dead on December 4 in front of a Midtown Manhattan hotel, where the company gathered for an investor conference.

Thompson’s murder and the subsequent five -day persecution captivated the Americans.

Although public authorities condemned the murder, some Americans applauded Mangione, saying that he drew attention to the high health costs in the US and the power of health insurers to refuse to pay for some treatments. He is currently detained at a federal penitentiary in Brooklyn.

This content was originally published in defense of Luigi Mangione asks Judge to prevent death penalty on the CNN Brazil website.

Source: CNN Brasil

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