Attorneys for Luigi Mangione plan to present an “affirmative psychiatric defense” at his state trial, alleging he was suffering an “extreme emotional disturbance” at the time of the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, Judge Gregory Carro said at a hearing Wednesday.
Carro ordered Mangione’s attorneys to turn over his psychiatric records to prosecutors immediately and the judge said the records would be unsealed.
Luigi Mangione appears for a pre-trial hearing at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York, June 17, 2026.
Angelina Katsanis/AP Photo
Mangione, dressed in a navy suit, was shackled at the hands for the entirety of the hearing.
Mangione’s lawyers first notified prosecutors that they might pursue a psychiatric defense in September, Carro said. Neither Mangione’s attorneys nor Carro provided additional information about the “extreme emotional disturbance” that allegedly impacted Mangione’s mental state.
Luigi Mangione appears for a pre-trial hearing at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York, June 17, 2026.
Angelina Katsanis/AP Photo
Carro also agreed to dismiss one of the criminal counts related to possession of a large capacity ammunition magazine.
Prosecutors consented to drop the charge after a ruling earlier this year that prohibited them from using the magazine at trial because it was improperly searched by the officers who arrested Mangione in Pennsylvania.
Luigi Mangione appears in Manhattan Supreme Court for a suppression hearing December 18 2025.
Curtis Means/Pool via Reuters
Mangione pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges after he was arrested for allegedly gunning down Thompson, a husband and father of two, on a Midtown Manhattan street in December 2024.
Mangione’s state trial is scheduled to begin on Sept. 8 and his federal trial is set for next year.
Mangione’s next hearing for his state case is scheduled for Aug. 11.
