UnitedHealthcare murder suspect Luigi Mangione still can’t have two heart-shaped notes that were nearly smuggled to him inside a pair of argyle socks — but he’s well on his way to getting a hotly debated laptop for his federal jail cell.
On Thursday, a state judge said he would not oppose Mangione having a secure laptop he could use to review thousands of hours of video and photo evidence, something federal prison officials are also not opposing.
New York Supreme Court Justice Gregory Carro ruled in favor of Mangione receiving such a laptop in a written decision that followed a closed-door conference held Thursday morning without the presence of Mangione, the media, or a stenographer.
“As stated at the conference, the court has no objection to the defendant being provided with a laptop computer to view discovery if the federal authorities permit it,” Carro wrote, without divulging his reasoning.
State prosecutors had fought hard to keep defense lawyers from giving Mangione a laptop as he awaits trial in a federal jail in Brooklyn, even if the device is not connected to the internet.
Prosecutors with the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg argued that a laptop would be loaded with images of potential civilian witnesses from the manhunt.
It would pose a security risk, given how out-of-control his fans can be, said lead state prosecutor Joel Seidemann, citing ongoing “concern for the safety of individuals who cooperate” with investigators.
“Defendant’s conduct has directly led to several instances of harassment, backlash, and death threats against both individuals who have cooperated with the investigation as well as prospective witnesses, including employees of the Altoona McDonald’s where defendant was arrested,” Seidemann wrote on Wednesday.
Also threatened have been “members of the Altoona Police Department who simply did their duty, and healthcare professionals both associated with UnitedHealthcare and others in the industry generally,” Seidemann added, laying blame on “those who sympathize with Defendant.”
Mangione is charged in parallel state and federal indictments with the December ambush-shooting murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
The prosecutor alleged that unnamed sympathizers struck yet again on Mangione’s behalf on February 21, his most recent state court date.
On the morning before the court date, as Mangione was being allowed to change out of jail garb and into civilian clothes before facing Carro, state court officers intercepted two pink, heart-shaped notes while searching a bag of clothing that had been given to him by members of the defense team, he said.
“Among the items of clothing was a new pair of argyle socks wrapped around cardboard,” Seidemann wrote. The two notes were “secreted in the cardboard.”
One note was signed r/FreeLuigi, in an apparent reference to a 37,000-member Reddit community.
It read “Luigi, We are all rooting for you! Know there are thousands of people wishing you luck,” defense attorneys revealed in a filing Wednesday night. The other note was addressed to “Joan,” who was thanked for her help in navigating the “online discourse.”
Lead defense lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo said in the filing that “in the haste of the situation, the defense inadvertently did not see that there were two heart-shaped notes contained within the socks.”
She added, “If this “incident” is the basis for the danger the prosecution is referencing, we submit that this does not meet the standard to allow them to deny our reasonable requests.”
Mangione is next due in federal court on April 18, and in state court on June 26.
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