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MANHATTAN (CN) — The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office is pushing back on the notion that Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-oldaccused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, is being treated unfairly in his murder case.
In acourt filing released to the public on Wednesday, prosecutors claim that Mangione has actually received “special treatment” so far, like being allowed to change out of his jail-issued clothing for court appearances. But they say making “accommodations for defendant’s fashion needs” has come back to bite them.
That’s because, before Mangione’sFeb. 21 appearance in Manhattan criminal court, police officers found “two personal heart-shaped notes” hidden in the cardboard of a pair of argyle socks, according to prosecutors.
“Know there are thousands of people wishing you luck,” said one note addressed to Mangione. The other note, prosecutors say, was addressed to an unknown person named Joan.
Prosecutors added that Mangione didn’t end up wearing the socks anyway, as he felt that “they did not look good.” Courtroom photos of Mangione’s sockless, shackled ankles would go viral later that day.
“Fortunately, the items smuggled were handwritten notes and not contraband capable of harming the transporting officers,” Assistant District Attorney Joel Seidemann wrote in the filing.
Mangione’s attorneys shared photos of the notes in a response filing on Wednesday. The one addressed to Mangione appeared to be signed “R/FreeLuigi,” seemingly a reference to a Reddit community dedicated to Mangione.
Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Mangione’s attorney, wrote in the filing that “the defense inadvertently did not see that there were two heart-shaped notes contained within the socks.”
Agnifilo chalked the incident up to the “haste of the situation,” since she is unable to see her client before and after court appearances. She argued that Mangione’s change of clothes for court is necessary since he has already been “thoroughly prejudiced” by his mugshot circulating online and his televised perp walk upon arrival in Manhattan.
“This was obviously inadvertent as one of the two heart-shaped notes was not even addressed to Mr. Mangione,” Agnifilo said. “The district attorney’s office ostensibly realized the innocent nature of this event, and that it was not a genuine danger or concern, as they did not bother to alert the court at the time.”
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office declined to comment on whether it will ask that Mangione be prohibited from changing out of jail-issued clothing at future appearances.
Prosecutors are looking to buck ongoing claims from Mangione’s attorneys that their client is being treated unfairly. The defense lawyers wrote in an earlier court filing that law enforcement was trampling on Mangione’s right to a fair trial by publicly painting him as a terrorist and likening his writings to a manifesto.
Mangione is charged with first-degree murder in furtherance of an act of terrorism, which requires the crime to be “intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population.” But Mangione’s legal team claims that it is actually prosecutors who are “responsible for said intimidation” by sharing evidence with the press instead of turning it over timely to defense attorneys.
“This behavior by law enforcement is wildly irresponsible, as they are spreading a message to the public intended to incite individuals who may as a result believe Mr. Mangione held purported viewpoints,” Mangione’s lawyers wrote in a March 21 filing.
Mangione’s lawyers had also pushed for their client to have access to a “specially formulated laptop” while in federal jail so he can view discovery material. Sean “Diddy” Combs, who is in custody at the same Brooklyn prison as Mangione, was granted a laptop for the same reason last year.
But prosecutors said very few inmates at the Metropolitan Detention Center are granted this privilege, and that Mangione could use his access to identify potential witnesses captured on video in his discovery material.
“There is a concern that should defendant have unfettered access to video surveillance, he may disseminate images of civilians captured on said video surveillance,” Seidemann wrote.
To prosecutors, the laptop request is an “ironic” one, considering Mangione has complained about being treated differently than other defendants.
“Yet, that’s precisely what the defense seeks — special treatment for defendant, without circumstances that warrant it,” Seidemann added. “And, in the face of understandable and heightened concern for the safety of the people’s witnesses that emanates from lackluster control over the discovery and the computers being used to review it.”
The case has garnered national attention and sparked widespread debate surrounding the health care industry, for which Mangione expressed disdain online prior to the murder.
Mangione faces one count of murder in the first degree, two counts of murder in the second degree, two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, four counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, one count of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree and one count of criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree.
His next court appearance is set for June 26. Mangione also facesfederal murder charges that could see him sentenced to death, if convicted.
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