Luigi Mangione wears bulletproof vest in first court appearance since arraignment

Luigi Mangione, the accused killer of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, appeared in court for the first time since his arraignment wearing a bulletproof vest. Mangione, 26, entered a New York City courtroom wearing the vest over a green sweater and with his hand and ankles shackled shorty before 2.30pm on Friday.

He has pleaded not guilty to shooting dead UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel on December 4. Mangione’s lawyer, Karen Agnifilo, called him a ‘model prisoner’. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video.

Up Next. ‘There has been no issue,’ she said. ‘This is a highly publicized and photographed court proceeding with strong public interest’. She added that the shackles Mangione was wearing show there is ‘no presumption of innocence’ for him. The judge responded that security officers preferred that Mangione be in shackles.

During the hearing, Mangione watched the attorneys and judge intently. Prosecutors reviewed some evidence they intended to present in the case, which received nationwide attention. Mangione has amassed a large number of fans who are behind his alleged mission to highlight greed in health insurance companies.

The status hearing wrapped up in about 30 minutes and Mangione departed. Some Mangione supporters waited outside a New York courthouse since 4am on Friday to get a spot to observe inside. A woman wore a scarf with the letters ‘FREE MANGIONE’ while in line outside the courthouse.

Mangione was arraigned on state murder and terror charges on December 19. He faces a maximum sentence on the state charges of life in prison without parole. But he also faces federal charges that could carry the death penalty. As Mangione departed Manhattan Criminal Court, officers told observers ti have ‘no outbursts’.

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