Luigi Mangione's lawyers withdraw plans for psychiatric defense

New York — In a dramatic reversal, Luigi Mangione's legal team on Thursday backed away from a plan to use a psychiatric defense when his case goes to trial in state court in September. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to murdering health insurance CEO Brian Thompson in 2024 on a Manhattan street.

At a hearing only a day earlier before state Judge Gregory Carro, Mangione's attorneys confirmed that Mangione had been undergoing psychiatric evaluation. They signaled that his defense would be based at least in part on the argument that Mangione was experiencing "extreme emotional disturbance."

But in a one-line letter sent to Carro on Thursday, Mangione's team said that "at this time" they no longer intend to introduce psychiatric evidence during the trial. It's unclear what sparked the shift. Mangione's team didn't respond to NPR's request for comment.

Former Manhattan prosecutor and legal analyst Gary Galperin told NPR it was a "stunning reversal" for Mangione to withdraw from the psychiatric defense. "One can only speculate at this point as to the reasons," he said.

"What remains, of course, at this point is the question of what defense they will pursue at trial," he added.

This maneuver came after Carro ordered Mangione's attorneys to quickly share psychiatric information with prosecutors.

"They need to know what the malady is that this defendant suffers and how that triggered extreme emotional distress," he said, during Wednesday's hearing. "I'm not going to let you surprise people on the eve of trial. Get it done."

Assistant Manhattan District Attorney Joel Seidemann repeatedly complained that Mangione's team was "stonewalling" the prosecution by withholding medical information about his psychiatric state. "We have gotten nothing," Seidemann said.

Mangione's lead attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo denied her team was delaying the court process or improperly withholding information.

But legal analyst Richard Schoenstein says by withdrawing the psychiatric defense, Mangione's team "is avoiding the court deadline to produce its psychiatric evidence."

According to Schoenstein, this latest move "does not entirely foreclose" Mangione's team from returning to some form of psychiatric argument during the trial, but he added that such a defense would now be far more difficult.

Mangione's case has drawn worldwide attention. Legal experts say the 28-eight-year old has drawn an unusual level of public support because of his criticism of the health insurance industry. Thompson, a father of two, was CEO of UnitedHealthcare at the time of his murder.

During Wednesday's hearing, Carro also indicated that a tranche of court documents would be made public that apparently relate to Mangione's potential psychiatric defense. On Thursday, Carro reversed course.

In a signed order, he said that because Mangione will no longer present psychiatric evidence, "the court's previous order sealing certain transcripts, emails, and documents, remains in effect."

Mangione's state trial is scheduled to begin in early September, with a federal trial expected to take place later.

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