Luigi Mangione’s lawyer asks the judge to force Bondi to confirm that she read the law

Lawyers who represent Luigi Mangione are now urging a New York judge, Attorney General Pam Bondi, to officially certify a local court rule for public comments from prosecutors.

The request was made in a defense response on Wednesday. It is aimed at the local penalty rule 23.1, which limits extrajudicial statements that could influence a jury pool.

The move of the defense comes when the Ministry of Justice under Bondi is striving for mango penalty in connection with the murder of Unitedhealthcare, CEO of Unitedhealthcare, Brian Thompson. The lawyers of mangion argue that Bondi’s public comments on the case of their client have already endangered the right to a fair hearing and that formal recognition of rule 23.1 is necessary to prevent further violations.

Newsweek turned to the legal team of Mangione and the Ministry of Justice to get a comment.

Why is it important

Local criminal rules 23.1 prohibits lawyers involved in criminal proceedings to submit public statements that have a “significant probability” to affect a fair procedure or to impair justice administration.

Mangiones team argues that Bondi’s comments may have violated this standard. They ask the court to prevent them from submitting additional public explanations without recognizing the rule.

Karen Friedman Agnifilo, a lawyer who represents Mangione, initially accused Bondi of submitting explanations that violate the rule in an application submitted on April 11th.

“You are clearly disadvantageous to the judicial administration, which in this case affects a large jury that is considered an indictment that can lead to Luigi Mangione being executed,” wrote Friedman Agnifilo.

What to know?

Mangione was charged with a federal murder, two stalking counts and a criminal offense of firearms in December 2024. He is also charged at the state level in New York and Pennsylvania.

On April 1, Bondi published a guideline to pursue the death penalty and described the crime as “a deliberate, cold -blooded murder that shocked America”.

“After careful examination, I instructed the federal prosecutor to apply for the death penalty in this case, while we carry out the agenda of President Trump to stop violent crime and make America secure again,” said Bondi in a declaration by the Ministry of Justice.

In response to this, the lawyer of Mangione filed an application that, among other things, prevents the government from pursuing the death penalty and ensuring that Grand jurors were scattered for prejudices due to Bondi’s comments.

They also demand that the Ministry of Justice presents internal memos, communication and records in connection with the decision on the death penalty, including all messages with third parties that were committed to certain results in this case.

What people say

Luigi Mangione’s lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, in a movement: “If the United States are planning to kill one of its citizens, it must comply with legal and internal procedures. The accused Luigi Mangione is now not only looking for the government, because it did not follow these procedures, but because it has given them up.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi, in a FOX News interview on April 6: “If there was ever a death, this is one. This type is accused of hunting a CEO, a father of two children, a married man.

What happens next

The judge has not yet decided on the application. In their submission, the lawyers of Mangione emphasized that the federal periods should expire on Friday for charges or provisional hearing. They argued that the government without judicial intervention “continues to violate Mr. Mangione’s adequate process rights”.

Bondi did not answer the application for certification of Rule 23.1.

The legal team of Mangione is of the opinion that the guarantee of compliance is necessary 23.1 in order to prevent “disadvantageous public statements” that could influence the Grand jury’s decision on the accusations for accusations of death.

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