Luigi Mangione’s Pennsylvania trial is paused as he refuses remote appearance
A judge said the Pennsylvania case won’t proceed until Mangione, currently in custody on federal and New York charges, can appear in person
By Callum Wells
Luigi Mangione’s Pennsylvania trial, where he is charged with murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, is effectively on hold, a judge ruled Thursday (16 October).
Judge Jackie Atherton Bernard of Blair County said, since Mangione remains in custody on federal and New York state charges and refuses to appear in court remotely, the Pennsylvania case essentially will not move forward until he can appear in person.
Federal officials have not allowed him to be transferred for court appearances in Pennsylvania while his New York case plays out, suggesting he may not face trial in Pennsylvania until after the federal case is concluded.
Luigi Mangione was scheduled to appear in a Pennsylvania court on 7 November, but the hearing was cancelled
She gave Mangione and his defence attorneys 14 days to file a formal request for an in-person hearing or to reconsider appearing remotely. Mangione has asserted his right to appear in person. The court must now receive updates every 60 days on his ability to attend.
He was scheduled to appear in a Pennsylvania court on 7 November, but the hearing was cancelled after his defense team insisted on in-person attendance. The federal government had denied his request to appear in Blair County, instead making him available to attend remotely.
Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on 9 December 2024. In Pennsylvania, he faces several charges, including carrying a firearm without a license, forgery, tampering with records or identification, false identification to law enforcement, and possession of instruments of crime, according to the criminal complaint.
He is reported to have received $40,000 in donations from supporters
He also faces additional federal charges, some of which carry the possibility of the death penalty. In New York, he is charged with murder and weapons offences in the fatal shooting of Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel in December 2024. The shooting prompted a days-long manhunt for Mangione, stretching from Central Park to a hostel on the Upper West Side and ultimately ending at a McDonald’s in Altoona.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty. His defence recently succeeded in having the New York state terrorism charges against him dismissed, though his legal battles across federal and state jurisdictions are ongoing.
He is reported to have received $40,000 in donations from supporters during his 10-month incarceration.