A New York judge has dismissed two state-level terrorism-related murder charges against Luigi Mangione.
The dismissed charges were first-degree murder in furtherance of an act of terrorism and second-degree murder as a crime of terrorism.
The judge ruled that state prosecutors did not present sufficient evidence to the grand jury to support the claim that Mangione intended to “intimidate and coerce a civilian population” or influence government policy. That is the legal threshold for state terrorism charges.
Mangione still faces several other serious charges, including a second-degree murder charge and federal charges that could carry the death penalty.
Attorney General Pam Bondi directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty, which marks the first such directive by the Trump administration. New York, where the murder occurred, has abolished the death penalty, and Mangione’s lawyers are attempting to block the federal death penalty pursuit, arguing the move is a political stunt.
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[Feature Photo: Luigi Mangione is escorted into Manhattan Criminal court for his arraignment on state murder and terror charges in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, Monday, Dec. 23, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)]
