A Manhattan federal judge has postponed the stalking trial of Luigi Mangione until January 2027 to prevent scheduling conflicts with his upcoming state murder trial.
U. S.
District Judge Margaret Garnett made the decision during a court hearing on Monday, June 29, 2026, at the Thurgood Marshall courthouse in Manhattan.
Court Proceedings Disrupted by Elevator Issues
The hearing was briefly disrupted when Mangione arrived 20 minutes late. A court official confirmed the delay was caused by technical problems with an elevator inside the courthouse.
Judge Garnett moved jury selection to January 5, 2027, and opening statements to January 25, 2027.
She explained that the defense team must focus entirely on the state murder trial scheduled for September 8, 2026.
"In my view it's simply impossible to be moving through the jury selection process in this case while the defendant and his counsel are fully occupied by conducting the state trial," Garnett said.
The judge also announced that the prospective juror questionnaire will remain sealed until the panel is selected to maintain the integrity of the process.
"[It] would only make what promises to be a difficult task more difficult," she added.
Defense attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo noted that the outcome of the state case could influence their federal strategy.
She indicated that the defense might request additional modifications to the jury questions depending on the September trial.
"We might ask the court to include other questions," Agnifilo said.
Prior to the scheduling changes, federal prosecutors and defense lawyers had explored resolving the case without a trial.
Sources familiar with the matter told ABC News that the two sides held discussions regarding a potential guilty plea.
In a joint letter, the defense and prosecution stated they would be prepared to address questions about proposed juror questionnaires and scheduling matters at the June 29 conference.
The defense team strongly criticized the leakage of the confidential plea negotiations.
Agnifilo released a statement accusing law enforcement of attempting to influence public perception ahead of the trials.
"This information attributed to 'anonymous sources' is part of a troubling, deliberate pattern by prosecutors and law enforcement to prejudice Luigi, manipulate public opinion, and violate his constitutional right to a fair trial and impartial jury," she said.
Agnifilo further emphasized the unique burden placed on her client due to the dual state and federal prosecutions.
"Every defendant in America is presumed innocent until proven guilty, including Luigi, who, unlike any other defendant, has to fight the same charges twice," she said.
Mangione previously expressed his own frustration regarding the dual prosecutions during a state court hearing in February.
He argued that facing two separate trials for the same underlying incident violated basic legal principles.
"It's the same trial twice. One plus one is two.
Double jeopardy by any commonsense definition," Mangione said.
The state trial will proceed first in September 2026 before Judge Gregory Carro.
Mangione faces second-degree murder charges carrying a maximum penalty of 25 years to life in prison.
Mangione is accused of stalking and fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel on December 4, 2024.
The 28-year-old defendant has pleaded not guilty to both state and federal charges.
