Luigi Mangione jury will be anonymous after harassment, intimidation concerns

In a Tuesday court hearing, the judge overseeing the Luigi Mangione case ruled that the jury for his forthcoming trial will be anonymous and allowed the use of an overflow room for members of the media and spectators. Mangione, 28, has been charged with killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. 

The ruling from Justice Gregory Carro came after prosecutors raised concerns about witnesses and jurors potentially being intimidated by Mangione’s fans. An anonymous jury means the identities of those sitting in for the case will be shielded from the public.

Assistant District Attorney Joel Seidemann wrote in a letter filed with the court late Monday, “The media attention surrounding this case — and the efforts of some of defendant’s supporters both to intimidate witnesses and to interfere with the functioning of the jury — will place extraordinary pressure on witnesses and potential jurors alike,” per the New York Post. 

Seidemann requested that if the overflow room is approved, that it “include only an audio feed so as to minimize the potential for witness intimidation and harassment.” 

Carro, however, pushed back on the request at the Tuesday hearing. “Mr. Seidemann, this is not the first rodeo in this court with a high-profile case,” Carro said. Both audio and video was approved for the overflow room. Over 80 news organizations are expected to attend. 

The hearing comes after Mangione’s defense team urged for the use of the overflow room in the trial, which will begin in September, and accused the District Attorney’s office of “directly or indirectly” hand-picking reporters for the trial. 

Carro pushed back on the defense’s accusations in the Tuesday hearing, saying in the courtroom, “At no time did the district attorney’s office participate in those discussions, nor did it play any role in determining media or public access. Any suggestion that the district attorney is involved is simply incorrect.”