Defendant Trapped in Elevator Delays Federal Hearing in Manhattan Courthouse

Luigi Mangione, who faces two federal stalking counts in the killing of UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson, was delayed at a Manhattan federal court hearing on Monday after becoming trapped in an elevator at the Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse. Engineers freed the shackled defendant after more than 30 minutes, and he entered the courtroom in a tan prison uniform through a door normally used by the judge.

U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett announced that jury selection will begin on Jan. 5, with opening statements slated for Jan. 25, and said the trial is expected to last two to three weeks. She noted that the federal case had been pushed from an earlier fall schedule because Mangione’s state murder trial, set to start Sept. 8, required his full attention.

"In my view, it’s simply impossible to be moving through the jury selection process in this case while the defendant and his counsel are fully occupied by conducting the state trial," Garnett said.

The judge also addressed jury selection, describing a process that will involve written questionnaires for hundreds of prospective jurors followed by in-person questioning to assess potential bias. Prosecutors objected to some defense-proposed questions about religious practices, family details and views of the health-insurance industry, deeming them overly intrusive.

"The goal of voir dire is to identify bias, not ‘design a bespoke jury of your choosing,’" Garnett said, emphasizing a balance between fairness and juror privacy.

Mangione is represented by attorneys Karen Agnifilo, her husband Marc Agnifilo, and Jacob Kaplan. The two stalking counts carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment without parole.