Luigi Mangione, awaiting trial in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, is requesting a laptop in jail, but solely for legal purposes – not for communication with anyone.
In a court filing made public late Monday, Mangione’s lawyers proposed that he be provided a laptop configured only to allow him to view the extensive documents, video, and other materials related to the shooting of Brian Thompson. Similar limited-laptop provisions have been made for some other defendants in the federal lockup where Mangione is detained.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office, which is prosecuting Mangione on a rare New York state charge of murder as an act of terrorism, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. According to Mangione’s lawyers, prosecutors are expressing disapproval of the laptop request, citing alleged threats against witnesses.
Defense lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo wrote that there’s “no connection to Mr. Mangione for any of said alleged threats.”
Mangione, 26, is accused of fatally shooting Thompson in December outside a Manhattan hotel where UnitedHealthcare was about to hold an investor conference. Thompson, 50, and a father of two high school children, had worked for decades within UnitedHealthcare and its parent company.
Mangione, an Ivy League computer science graduate from a Maryland real estate family, has pleaded not guilty to the New York state charges. He also faces a parallel federal case that carries the possibility of the death penalty. He has not entered a plea to the federal charges or to state-level gun possession and other charges in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested days after Thompson’s death.
Thompson’s killing alarmed the corporate world, prompting some health insurers to hastily switch to remote work or online shareholder meetings.
However, the case also highlighted some Americans’ frustrations with health insurance companies. Mangione’s writings and words found on bullets recovered from the scene reflected animosity toward health insurers and corporate America, authorities have stated.
Some individuals have lionized the accused killer, donated money to his defense, and even attended his court appearances. Others, including elected officials, have condemned the praise for what they perceive as ideological violence and vigilante justice.
Through his lawyers, Mangione has released a statement thanking his supporters.
If he receives a laptop, it would not be able to connect to the internet, run video games, or play movies or other entertainment, his lawyers stated in Monday’s filing. However, it would allow him to review, from his jail cell, over 15,000 pages of documents and thousands of hours of video that prosecutors gathered and were required to provide to his attorneys.
Otherwise, he can review the material during meetings with his lawyers. However, they argue that there are not enough visiting hours for him to do so and adequately assist in preparing his defense.
