‘Model prisoner' Luigi Mangione whines about wearing handcuffs, bulletproof vest — makes request to judge
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's alleged assassin has been a 'model prisoner' at his Brooklyn lockup and thus should be allowed to wear 'court-appropriate clothing' when he's back in Manhattan court June 26, his lawyers say.
Forcing the 27-year-old accused killer to continue appearing with his hands cuffed and sporting the Kevlar vest will 'perpetuate a false narrative that Mr. Mangione is an unusual danger requiring extraordinary security measures' and 'prejudice' him in the eyes of the jury, his lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo wrote in a legal filing.
Mangione was characterized as a 'model prisoner' in his 167 days in pre-trial detention — never being cited for misconduct, requiring no special accommodations and even qualifying for an undisclosed work detail as a member of the general population at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center, according to the filing.
The University of Pennsylvania graduate is unrestricted during daily visits with his legal counsel at the MDC's common visitor area — a large open room with no barriers between people or groups, which include children and babies, lawyers wrote.
Mangione, who is accused of fatally shooting Thompson, 50, in the back on a Manhattan sidewalk on Dec. 4, 2024, poses no threats to these people and thus should be 'treated just like any other pre-trial detainee, not like someone who is a heightened security or flight risk,' the filing argued.
The alleged killer has further been 'a model defendant in court' who has been cooperative and respectful of law enforcement officials during the trial, counselors stated.
Judge Gregory Carro was initially inclined to accommodate the defense's request to uncuff Mangione during court proceedings on Feb. 21, the court papers noted.
'Go ahead and uncuff him,' Carro said at the time, according to the filing.
A court officer then approached the bench for an off-the-record conversation with the judge, who then denied the request, stating, 'For security reasons, they want him cuffed,' according to the filing.
Court officers previously expressed concern for their safety when one googly-eyed groupie managed to sneak a heart-shaped love note into a pair of Mangione's argyle socks.
'Luigi, we are rooting for you! Keep your head held high and know there are thousands of people wishing you luck,' the note signed 'r/Free Luigi' read.
Prosecutors warned at the time that future contraband smuggled into court could pose a risk to court officers.
Lawyers for Mangione are not asking for his legs to be unshackled to 'provide reasonable compromise,' according to the filing.
Uniquely forceful security is not new for Mangione, who Manhattan prosecutors claim killed Thompson as 'an act of terrorism.'
Mayor Eric Adams was on the helipad alongside machine gun-toting NYPD and FBI agents in a show of force as the accused killer arrived in Manhattan for his first court date.
Like most defendants on trial for murder, Mangione appeared without a bulletproof vest when he pleaded not guilty last year — wearing a red sweater, which quickly went viral online.
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