Luigi Mangione, accused in the December 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, has asked a New York court to allow his Sept. 8 murder trial to be broadcast live. Defense lawyers say limits on press access—including a cap of 68 journalists and no overflow room—violate the defendant’s Sixth Amendment right to a public trial. Prosecutors counter that the District Attorney's Office did not select reporters and asked the judge to correct what they called misstatements. Mangione faces 25 years to life in state prison if convicted and is also charged federally.
Luigi Mangione Asks Judge to Allow Live Broadcast of Sept. 8 Murder Trial Over Press Restrictions
Luigi MangioneCredit: Jeenah Moon/Getty
Luigi Mangione, the 28-year-old accused in the December 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, has asked a New York state court to permit live broadcasting of his upcoming murder trial and challenged what his lawyers say are restrictive limits on press and public access.
In a July 31 filing to New York Supreme Court Judge Gregory Carro, Mangione's defense attorneys objected to the "partial exclusion of the public and the press" and to any process in which the court or the District Attorney's Office "directly or indirectly, hand-pick the reporters permitted to attend." The filing says Mangione was arrested on Dec. 9, 2024.
Luigi MangioneCredit: Steven Hirsch/Getty
Defense counsel said they were told only 68 journalists would be allowed into the courtroom and that the media-selection process was outsourced to a private attorney who represents "approximately a dozen legacy media organizations." The defense also objected to the court's decision not to provide an overflow room for additional reporters and members of the public.
"Criminal defendants have a Sixth Amendment right to a fully public, open and unbiased trial," the defense filing argued.
On Aug. 3, prosecutors pushed back in a letter to Judge Carro, asking the court to "correct misstatements" they said the defense made about the District Attorney's Office "hand selecting" reporters. Senior Trial Counsel Joel J. Seidemann wrote that the DA's office had "no role" in developing the Office of Court Administration's media access plan and will have "no role in selecting which news reporters attend the trial."
Luigi MangioneCredit: Stephen Yang/Getty
Seidemann characterized the defense accusations as an effort to "spread misinformation about this case and delegitimize the proceedings," and asked the judge to admonish defense counsel to comply with ethical obligations against making knowingly false statements. The defense replied the same day, saying the prosecutor's letter "mischaracterizes both the substance and purpose of the defense's application."
The state trial is scheduled to begin Sept. 8 in Manhattan. If convicted in the New York state case, Mangione could face a sentence of 25 years to life in prison. He is also facing a separate federal prosecution related to the same incident.
The dispute underscores tensions between court security, logistical limits on in-person attendance and the press’s role in covering high-profile criminal trials. The judge will ultimately decide whether to allow live broadcasts or alter the media access plan for the proceedings.
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