“Equal justice under law” is the foundation on which our nation’s legal system stands. Yet, in the case of Luigi Mangione, this foundation has crumbled due to prosecutorial misconduct, political objectification and media influence. Regardless of whether you believe he is a monster or a martyr, these factors have undermined his right to a fair trial.
On Dec. 4, 2024, Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was violently shot and killed outside of a New York City hotel. At the scene, the NYPD said it looked like a “brazen, targeted attack.” Eerie surveillance footage showed glimpses of the killer wearing a hoodie and mask before fleeing on a CitiBike. On Dec. 9, Mangione was “arrested [and taken into custody] at a McDonald’s after a customer alerted an employee who called police.” Now, almost four months later, Mangione is in the midst of litigation and is pleading not guilty to all charges. Based on the sharp arguments by his attorneys, it is evident that his legal team has set their sights on a potential mistrial.
Named a “social media folk hero” by Forbes, Mangione is a viral sensation. Despite being an alleged murderer, masses of people have shown overflowing support for the 26-year-old. This case has taken the nation by storm, sparking protests, calls to action and conversations surrounding the morality of capitalist culture. There was even an enormous “Free Luigi” mural projected on a building in Lower Manhattan this February. With extensive Reddit threads, Instagram posts and TikTok videos, the infatuation for this suspected murderer is both fascinating and disturbing.
This case is active, with the “next federal court hearing scheduled for April 18, followed by a state court hearing in June,” according to CBS News. I am in no way forming an opinion on Mangione’s guilt or innocence. Rather, I am attempting to answer the complex question: Has Mangione been given the right to a fair trial?
Firstly, Mayor Eric Adams “publicly discussed undisclosed evidence.” Karen Friedman Agnifilo, a lawyer for Mangione said, “Mayor Eric Adams and a top NYPD official improperly discussed evidence in the case” and “may seek to get evidence gathered during his Pennsylvania arrest thrown out.”
“There is a serious search and seizure issue here … We want to have the opportunity to litigate that,” said Agnifilo during a court appearance in February.
Additionally, Mangione’s legal team was “shocked that the NYPD chief of detectives and Mayor Adams were able to sit down with HBO and discuss evidence and their theories of the case for a documentary.” This is especially concerning, and a violation, considering “the prosecutors have yet to turn over key evidence — including a journal they allege is his ‘manifesto’ — that Adams at the NYPD official discussed on HBO,” said Agnifilo.
Another example of the undermining of Mangione’s right to a fair trial was his dramatized perp walk on Dec. 20, 2024. This scripted spectacle with over a dozen armed guards illuminated Mayor Adams’ use of Mangione as “political fodder.” Transferring the suspect from Pennsylvania to New York was nothing less than a grand ordeal. The New York Times described the scene as “cinematic,” with “Luigi Mangione, handcuffed and wearing an orange jumpsuit, surrounded by a phalanx of armed law enforcement officers as they led him off a helipad.”
Agnifilo expressed her discontent with the perp walk, calling it “unnecessary” and “the biggest staged perp walk [she’s] ever seen.” This over-the-top scene highlights the prejudice Mangione is facing from government officials attempting to leverage their own public image. It is almost comical that Mr. Five-Count Indictment Mayor Adams is acting like he takes crime seriously. It is quite apparent that he has no desire to protect the people of New York, but rather, protect his own appearance and the people who buy him first-class airline tickets.
Agnifilo also argued that it was illegal, “given that a perp walk is unconstitutional if not used for a ‘legitimate law enforcement objective,’ citing a Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruling, Lauro v. Charles,” according to The News Republic.
Ultimately, this case certainly exemplifies the messiness of the legal system and the difficulties of maintaining the presumption of innocence. Regardless of the outcome of this case, I hope that the United States courts prioritize honoring the Sixth Amendment and strive to attain justice the right way.
Mary Hawthorn, FCRH ’26, is a political science and English double major from Greenwich, Connecticut.
