Luigi Mangione, the man accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, appeared in Manhattan Supreme Court ahead of his high-profile murder trial set to begin next month. On Tuesday (August 11), Mangione’s attorneys pressed for expanded media access, specifically requesting a live broadcast of the upcoming proceedings and a video feed to an overflow courtroom for journalists and the public. The trial, already drawing national attention, is scheduled to start with jury selection on September 8.

The defense argues that the current media plan, which limits the number of journalists in the courtroom during jury selection and does not include an overflow room, violates Mangione’s constitutional right to an open trial. According to a July 31 letter from Mangione’s lawyers, only six journalists are allowed to attend jury selection, while 68 seats are reserved for the general trial. The defense is also asking the court to explain how reporters were selected and to disclose any related communications between court officials and prosecutors.

Meanwhile, Manhattan prosecutors deny involvement in creating the court’s media access plan or picking which reporters can attend. In an August 3 letter, Senior Trial Counsel Joel Seidemann wrote, “The District Attorney's Office had no role in developing the Office of Court Administration's media access plan for this trial, and will have no role in selecting which news reporters attend the trial,” as reported by BenefitsPRO. The defense later acknowledged lacking personal knowledge of any such coordination but requested further disclosure from the court.

Experts point out that New York state law typically bans streaming criminal trials outside the courthouse, but overflow rooms have been used in past high-profile cases, including President Trump’s hush-money trial, to accommodate media interest, according to the New York Post and the Guardian.

Prosecutors have raised concerns that Mangione’s supporters may attempt to intimidate witnesses or jurors. The court has yet to rule on the requests for live video or an overflow room.

Mangione, 28, has pleaded not guilty to murder charges in what prosecutors describe as a targeted attack outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel in December 2024. Documents allege Mangione’s writings expressed hostility toward the health insurance industry and its executives. After the state trial, Mangione faces a separate federal trial scheduled to begin January 5, 2027.

The next major step in the case will be jury selection, starting September 8, with the possibility of significant changes to public and media access still pending final decisions by the court.

Lucy Chapman