Luigi Mangione is back in court for the jury selection process in his murder trial. Fox News’ CB Cotton reports from New York City. Prosecutors have recovered a gun and a notebook with writings on corporate America and the health insurance industry following the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Lawyers for Mangione have argued that the media access rules for his upcoming state murder trial violate his constitutional right to a public trial. His attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, filed on Friday claiming that restricting access to 68 journalists is unconstitutional. She expressed concern about the court and district attorney’s ability to selectively choose reporters.
The filing by Mangione’s attorney points to three main objections, arguing these constitute a constitutional violation:
- Partial closure of the trial due to the lack of an overflow courtroom.
- Selective hand-picking of reporters allowed to attend.
- Lack of opportunity for Mangione’s team to present their case before these decisions were made.
Defense attorney Agnifilo asserted that they weren’t consulted on media access for the September trial. They only learned of the guidelines through an independent journalist. The guidelines specify no overflow room and allow only six journalists to cover jury selection, diverging from customary practice.
She labeled the process as “arbitrary,” failing constitutional requirements. Mangione’s representatives request a public hearing to discuss these matters. They also want the court to release lists of chosen journalists and explanations of selection criteria.
Mangione’s federal trial is postponed to January. Lawyers seek details on efforts to secure an overflow room and propose live broadcasting as an alternative.
Fox News Digital contacted Agnifilo’s office for a statement. Adam Sabes, a reporter for Fox News Digital, is available for story tips at [email protected] and on Twitter @asabes10.
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