Judge orders anonymous jury for Luigi Mangione's murder trial starting September 8

Court ruling on jury anonymity

New York state Justice Gregory Carro ruled on Tuesday, August 11, that the jury in Luigi Mangione's upcoming murder trial will remain anonymous, without explaining the reasoning behind the measure. The decision came at a hearing in lower Manhattan, where the 28-year-old defendant appeared in a gray suit with an unbuttoned white collar and no tie and grinned during the proceedings. Jury selection is scheduled to begin on September 8, the same date the trial opens. Anonymous juries are relatively unusual in US criminal trials but are sometimes used in cases where jurors could face harassment or intimidation. In New York State, defendants and prosecutors will still know jurors' names even when they are withheld from the public. Judges in Manhattan also allowed anonymous juries in 2024 in Donald Trump's criminal trial and in the case of Daniel Penny, the Marine who was acquitted in the fatal choking of a homeless man on a New York subway. More than 80 media outlets are expected to cover the Mangione proceedings.

The charges and evidence

Mangione is charged with the killing of Brian Thompson, the 50-year-old CEO of UnitedHealthcare, who was shot outside a hotel in Midtown Manhattan on the morning of December 4, 2024, as he headed to an investor conference. The killing was filmed by surveillance cameras, and the footage quickly spread online. A five-day manhunt followed, ending with Mangione's arrest in Pennsylvania. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to murder, weapons, and forgery charges brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. In the state case he faces life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Prosecutors say their evidence includes hundreds of hours of surveillance footage, fingerprints, DNA, a mobile phone, and a gun they say matches the ballistics from Thompson's killing. Carro ruled last month that the gun, described as a 3D-printed pistol, and a notebook allegedly belonging to Mangione could be admitted at trial. Prosecutors say the notebook contains writings about targeting a health insurance executive and rebelling against what it calls the "deadly, greed fueled health insurance cartel." Police have said the words "delay," "deny," and "depose" were written on ammunition connected to the shooting, echoing a phrase used by critics to describe tactics insurance companies use to avoid paying claims.

Defense strategy and public access

Mangione's lawyers have revealed almost nothing about their trial strategy and have not conceded that he was the shooter. A court filing in June or July indicated they might argue Mangione lost control of his actions due to an extreme mental health breakdown. At Tuesday's hearing, Carro also addressed defense concerns about public access to the trial, ordering an overflow courtroom for journalists and members of the public if the main courtroom reaches capacity.

There has never been any discussion or decision of this court to exclude the public from these hearings, quite the opposite.

The judge called claims that the public might be excluded an "irresponsible assertion."

A second trial and public reaction

Mangione also faces a separate federal trial scheduled for January 2027, where he is pursued on two stalking charges related to the tracking of Brian Thompson and also risks life imprisonment. The case has drawn intense public attention, with some viewing Mangione as a challenger of health insurance companies, which critics accuse of prioritizing profits over care. The killing was condemned by public officials but became emblematic of frustration among many Americans over rising healthcare costs and the practices of private health insurers.