LUIGI Mangione, the suspect accused of assassinating the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, has scored a legal victory, as rabid supporters erupted in celebration outside the courthouse.
Mangione emerged in court on Tuesday for the first time in five months, where a judge dismissed two terror-related charges in his state case.
Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare chief executive, appears at Manhattan Supreme Court on TuesdayReuters
People rally outside of the Lower Manhattan courthouse in support of Luigi MangioneReuters
Judge Gregory Carro ruled in the defense’s favor of dismissing two charges, including murder in the first degree in furtherance of an act of terrorism and murder in the second degree as a crime of terrorism.
Mangione’s team argued the two charges should be tossed because crimes of terrorism as defined in New York State law refer to attacks on multiple civilians, not the shooting of a sole individual.
In his written decision, Judge Carro said that although there is no doubt that the killing was no ordinary street crime, New York law does not consider something terrorism simply because it was motivated by ideology.
“While the defendant was clearly expressing an animus toward UHC, and the healthcare industry generally, it does not follow that his goal was to ‘intimidate and coerce a civilian population,’ and indeed, there was no evidence presented of such a goal,” the judge wrote.
However, the judge did not dismiss Mangione’s second-degree murder charge.
Outside the Lower Manhattan courthouse, sick supporters of Mangione erupted in celebration after learning the top charges against the alleged assassin were dismissed.
Dozens of supporters, some of whom were camped outside the courthouse hours before the hearing began at 9 am, cheered and hugged each other as chants of “Free Luigi” broke out.
More to follow… For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos.
Like us on Facebook at TheSunUS and follow us on X at @TheUSSun
Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
