Luigi Mangione, the man accused of not shooting United Healthcare CEO Thompson in Manhattan in a week that his lawyers are challenging the words of admission in his case.
Mr Mangione, 27, has pleaded not guilty to both state and federal murder charges, which carry the possibility of the death penalty.
The pre-trial hearing could last several days, as defense lawyers are expected to call a host of witnesses, including from Pennsylvania, where he was arrested by a McDonald’s.
In September a verdict dismissed the state terrorism charges against Mr. Mangione, arguing the prosecution failed to establish evidence to justify it.
Mr Mangione’s legal team now hopes to convince a judge to exclude evidence including a barrel and a notebook that he says was a motive.
The accused was arrested days after he allegedly shot Mr. Thompson, a father of two, while he was walking to an investor conference on a busy Manhattan Street on December 4, 2024.
A date for either of his trials has not been set.
Walking into court on Monday, Mr Mangione wore a gray suit and shirt, and court staff removed his handcuffs before he sat down, as his lawyers had requested.
This week’s hearing focused on whether prosecutors illegally obtained evidence from MR Mangione when they arrested him In Altono, Pennsylvania, and if necessary to include it.
Defense lawyers sought to suppress some of Mr Mangionione’s statements he made to police after being arrested – including allegedly giving them a false name.
They argue he did so before police read him his rights, including the right to remain silent.
His lawyers also hope to exclude from the trial a 9mm handgun which prosecutors say matches the one used in the backpack to kill MR MRIEone.
The prosecutors said that Mr. Mangione – the scion of a famous Maryland family who graduated from an Ivy League university – died, died, the one who fought the health insurance insurance “.
But defense attorneys argued that his backpack was searched without a warrant, and the items found should be included in the case.
Elimination of two critical pieces of evidence – that point of a weapon and motive – a great victory for the legal team of Mr Mermone.
But the chances of that happening are “non-existent”, said Dmmitriy Shakhnevich, a criminal defense lawyer in New York.
He said that because there are many exceptions to the constitutional rules that law enforcement must obtain a warrant for personal searches, including some that may hide in this case.
“In a case like this where there is a manhunt for a violent suspect who committed the alleged crime in plain sight in New York City, there is not a warrant,” said Mr Shakhnevich.
“If they get him, they’ll find him.”
Prosecutors said they have other verbal evidence against the accused, including DNA OR FINGERPATS of things thrown near the crime scene.
Mr. Mangieone’s lawyers may have been aware of the high odds of getting the evidence excluded, Mr. Shakhnevich said.
He added that the main reason why defense lawyers hold this type of proceedings is to see the testimony of the trial from law enforcement.
Until now, the court heard from the New York Police Deptissy Commandy Commandy of the public Sgt Chris Mclaughlin, who was asked to review the surveillance images from the shuttering.
Prosecutors in court also played CCTV footage of the murder. A worker who manages security cameras at McDonald’s in Altonoon also testified.
Prosecutors played a 911 call for the court from a manager of a fast food restaurant who said customers told him a patron had killed Mr Thompson. The manager said he looked online for photos of him but could only make out Mr Mangione’s eyebrows while he was eating at the restaurant, as he was wearing a pattern and face mask.
The court also heard from a correctional officer who detained Mr. Mangione who showed that he showed reasonable health care and health care, even health care, even health care, even health care did not give his opinion on the latter subject.
The official said that Mr Mangione was placed under a high level of security because they wanted to avoid an “Epstein-style section Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself while killing himself while killing himself in the detention center.
Mr. Shakhnevich said that the legal team wants to have this kind of information from the Witnesses so that they know what people will say in the test of their statements.
“The benefit of a hearing is that you have to have law enforcement officers testify, and you have to bind them to testify for a trial later,” he said.
Mr Mangione’s legal team is also pushing to bar the federal government from Seeking the death penalty.
They cited comments from high-ranking officials, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, who accused Mr Mangione of politically motivated murder.