Luigi Mangione Requests Court Livestream Trial After Only 68 Journalists Allowed Coverage at Courthouse
Luigi Mangione is scheduled for trial in September.
Aug. 7 2026, Published 12:39 p.m. ET
Luigi Mangione objected after the state laid out a plan to limit media coverage of his murder trial.
The 28-year-old, who was accused of the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, asked the judge to allow a livestream of his trial. In a July 31 letter to Justice Gregory Carro, his attorneys flagged the set plan to allow only 68 total journalists access to trial proceedings with only 6 allowed during jury selection, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Luigi Mangione Opposes 68 Journalist Limit in Court
Mangione's team claimed they were not notified by the state about the restrictions.
“Criminal defendants have a Sixth Amendment right to a fully public, open and unbiased trial,” the defense wrote. “This means that every member of the public and the press who wishes to see the Mangione trial should be permitted to do so.”
The defense alleged the plans for media coverage were made without their consideration. In fact, they alleged they only heard of the plan via an independent journalist.
According to reports, a limited number of journalists would be allowed in the courtroom for the jury selection and trial. Plus, unlike previous high-profile trials, the state opted not to allow an overflow room for those who can't fit into the main proceedings.
Prosecutors Claim to Have 'No Role' in Rules
Prosecutors claimed the defense was peddling misinformation.
The defense added, "To be clear, the defense is not impugning the objectivity or independence of the reporters chosen to cover the trial. Rather, the defense objects to any process, and certainly one in which he had no involvement, where a small percentage of reporters seeking to cover the proceedings are permitted to do so."
However, prosecutors claimed they weren't involved in the media access plan.
They asked the judge to instruct Mangione's team to "correct misstatements" about their involvement. Senior Trial Counsel Joel J. Seidemann wrote in the filing that the district attorneys office has "no role in selecting which news reporters attend the trial, as defense counsel surely knows from her long prior association with this office."
Seidmann claimed the defense team made an "ethical" violation by allegedly "knowingly" making "false statements." However, the defense hit back, claiming the prosecutor “mischaracterizes both the substance and purpose of the defense’s application.”
Trial Set for September
Mangione no longer faces the death penalty.
Carro's decision on the media rule is pending. Mangione is set to return to court for a hearing on August 11. The state trial is slated for September 8, but a federal trial is set for January 5.
Mangione was charged with second-degree murder, weapons offenses, and forgery charges in New York state. Federally, he was charged with stalking charges which carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole.
Originally, prosecutors planned to seek the death penalty for Mangione. However, the judge ultimately dismissed a federal murder charge, which restricted their ability to seek the penalty. Prosecutors decided not to appeal the decision and just focus on the remaining charges.
Mangione Pleads Not Guilty
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He withdrew a request to use the Extreme Emotional Disturbance defense.
Mangione pleaded not guilty to all charges against him. Briefly, the University of Pennsylvania graduate's team requested the use of an Extreme Emotional Disturbance defense. However, they withdrew that request very quickly.
Jamie E. Wright, LA Litigator & Founder of the Wright Law Firm, told Radar, "Strategically, eliminating the defense may demonstrate that the defense thought it too costly to present that defense."
