A Manhattan judge ruled that jurors in Luigi Mangione’s murder trial will remain anonymous and approved an overflow room for extensive media coverage as prosecutors raised concerns about possible intimidation of witnesses and jurors.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Jurors in the upcoming murder trial of Luigi Mangione will have their identities shielded from the public under security measures announced Tuesday in Manhattan Supreme Court, where the judge also addressed media access and concerns about potential intimidation surrounding the high-profile case.
Justice Gregory Carro said jury selection is scheduled to begin Sept. 8 and ruled that the panel will remain anonymous, according to The New York Post.
Mangione, 28, attended the hearing wearing a gray blazer over a partly unbuttoned white shirt.
The court is preparing for extensive public and media interest, with more than 80 news organizations expected to attend. Carro authorized an overflow room for reporters and spectators who cannot be accommodated inside the courtroom.
Prosecutors had urged the court to take precautions because of what they described as attempts by some Mangione supporters to interfere with the case.
Assistant District Attorney Joel Seidemann wrote that the level of public attention could place exceptional pressure on people participating in the trial.
“The media attention surrounding this case, and the efforts of some of defendant’s supporters both to intimidate witnesses and to interfere with the functioning of the jury, will place extraordinary pressure on witnesses and potential jurors alike,” Seidemann wrote.
He also asked that any overflow room carry audio only rather than video “so as to minimize the potential for witness intimidation and harassment.”
Carro pushed back against the prosecutor’s concerns during the hearing.
“Mr. Seidemann, this is not the first rodeo in this court with a high-profile case,” the judge said.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from the December 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, which prosecutors have described as a targeted execution.
The hearing also addressed a separate dispute over how reporters were selected for access to the proceedings.
Mangione’s defense attorneys had alleged that the Manhattan district attorney’s office participated in choosing which journalists could cover the trial. Prosecutors denied having any role in that process.
Carro rejected the defense claim.
“At no time did the district attorney’s office participate in those discussions, nor did it play any role in determining media or public access,” Carro said. “Any suggestion that the district attorney is involved is simply incorrect.”
Mangione’s attorneys had sought televised proceedings and broader live access to the courtroom.
Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo said outside court that he was nevertheless satisfied with the access Carro approved.
“I think there should be two overflow rooms, but I’ll take one,” Agnifilo said.
He added that the defense team will be ready when jury selection begins.
Security surrounding Mangione has already produced at least one unusual incident.
A Minnesota man was charged in January with impersonating an FBI agent after prosecutors said he attempted to remove Mangione from a federal jail in Brooklyn by falsely claiming that he possessed a signed judicial order authorizing him to take custody of the defendant.
Federal investigators said the attempt was not coordinated with Mangione and appeared to have been an isolated incident.
The anonymous-jury order and other courtroom restrictions reflect the security concerns that have accompanied the case as it moves toward jury selection in September.
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