Judge Orders Anonymous Jury for Luigi Mangione’s State Murder Trial
The jury in Luigi Mangione’s state murder trial will remain anonymous, a judge ruled Tuesday as plans for the case were finalized in a New York courtroom.
Mangione, 28, has pleaded not guilty to several state charges over the December 2024 fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a New York hotel. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison. Jury selection is set to begin September 8.
Justice Gregory Carro also ordered prosecutors and defense attorneys to work together on a jury questionnaire to give the court and attorneys insight into potential jurors’ backgrounds and beliefs.
Anonymous juries are becoming increasingly common in high-profile New York cases. Carro also ordered an overflow courtroom for the press and public.
The judge angrily addressed a dispute over media access, saying there had “never been a discussion or decision by this court to exclude or limit the public or press,” adding, “Quite the opposite is true.”
Mangione’s lawyers had objected in late July after learning only 68 journalists would be allowed access. Prosecutors said the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office had no role in the media access plan or selecting reporters, calling the claim “baseless,” via People. Prosecutors later raised concerns that an overflow room could increase the risk of spectator misconduct. The defense said prosecutors “mischaracterize[d] both the substance and purpose” of its request.
“At no time did the District Attorney’s Office play any role,” Carro said Tuesday, calling the dispute a “reckless mischaracterization of ethics undertaken by this court” and saying, “I don’t want to hear any more about this.”
Mangione also faces federal charges tied to Thompson’s death, with that case scheduled to begin in January.
