A federal judge on Wednesday postponed Luigi Mangione’s trial by several weeks, denying a defense request for a longer delay.
U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett moved the start of jury selection in Mangione’s federal stalking case to October 5, from an earlier September date, with opening statements now expected later in October or early November. The defense had asked to delay the trial until 2027, arguing they could not adequately prepare while simultaneously defending Mangione in a separate state murder case.
Garnett signaled skepticism of the broader request, saying she was “skeptical of moving the trial wholesale into 2027” and describing the proposal as “a little bit of the tail wagging the dog,” according to courtroom reporting, per CNN.
Mangione, 27, has pleaded not guilty to federal stalking charges tied to the December 2024 killing of Brian Thompson, the chief executive of a division of UnitedHealth Group. He also faces separate state charges, including second-degree murder, with that trial scheduled to begin June 8.
Defense attorneys had argued that the overlapping timelines created an “impossible position,” noting they would need to review roughly 800 federal juror questionnaires while actively trying the state case.
“Realistically, defense counsel cannot be defending Mr. Mangione in state court … while, at the same time, also reviewing 800 questionnaires for a federal case,” defense attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo wrote in a letter to the court.
Federal prosecutors opposed a lengthy delay, arguing the case should proceed more quickly. One prosecutor pointed to public interest and support for Mangione among some observers, telling the court, “Your Honor need only look out the window to see the people that follow this defendant and believe that what he did was right,” according to CNN.
Garnett ultimately adjusted the schedule in part to address concerns about jury selection, which is expected to unfold amid significant media attention surrounding the nearby state trial.
The ruling struck a middle-ground approach: granting the defense additional time to manage logistics while rejecting a wholesale postponement that would have pushed the case into next year.
The federal case carries the possibility of a life sentence if Mangione is convicted. In the state case, he faces a potential sentence of 25 years to life.
The latest scheduling decision builds on earlier rulings in the case. In January, Garnett removed the possibility of the death penalty by dismissing the death-eligible counts in the federal indictment, finding that stalking does not qualify as a “crime of violence” under federal law, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Mangione has been in custody since his arrest in Pennsylvania days after the shooting, which authorities allege followed a multistate stalking effort targeting Thompson.
It remains unclear whether the adjusted federal schedule will affect the timing of the state trial.