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Victoria Bekiempis

Good morning from Manhattan federal court!

Luigi Mangione is expected to appear at 11am ET after a hastily scheduled conference that has spurred intense speculation that he might plead guilty related to the killing of UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson.

Throngs of media and some supporters have gathered in front of the 40 Foley courthouse. The Guardian spotted at least three people lining up by 5pm during a quick walk by court on Thursday afternoon.

They appeared to be paid line sitters. For several years at high-profile trials in New York, news organizations and some curious members of the public have hired paid line sitters to keep their place in a queue as to avoid camping out overnight.

Mangione now faces federal stalking charges; he also faces New York state murder and weapons charges and that trial is scheduled for 8 September.

If Mangione pleads guilty, that could send his New York case into uncertainty, because the state has double jeopardy statutes that could bar it.

If he does plead guilty, it’s fair to assume there will be a flurry of court paperwork filed in his state case sooner than later, with his attorneys likely poised to push for its dismissal.

Luigi Mangione reportedly expected to plead guilty in federal stalking case

Luigi Mangione, is reportedly expected to plead guilty at a scheduled hearing on Friday in Manhattan federal court, where he faces charges of stalking resulting in the death of Brian Thompson, the chief of executive of UnitedHealthcare, in 2024.

The potential plea deal in the federal case, which NBC News and the New York Times (paywall) reported on Thursday, comes less a month out from a scheduled trial on 8 September on a New York state murder charge in connection with Thompson’s fatal shooting. The federal trial for the stalking charges in connection with the killing of Thompson is due to take place in January, and carries a potential life sentence.

Rumours of a plea deal have been circulating since late June when Mangione’s defense team met with federal prosecutors to discuss, it was widely understood, a plea deal in the federal case.

It wasn’t immediately clear which charges Mangione would be pleading not guilty to on Friday – there are two stalking-related charges in the federal case – nor was it clear the potential impact the plea could have on the state murder case. He could also change his mind at any time, including in the courtroom. He has previously pleaded not guilty to all charges against him in both federal and state court.

Should Mangione go ahead with pleading guilty in the federal case, his lawyers could move to have his state case dismissed by arguing double jeopardy (being tried more than once on related charges). On the other hand, state prosecutors could argue that the federal stalking case and the state murder case address two different harms – alleged interstate stalking resulting in death in the federal case versus intentional killing in the state case. They could also argue that the weapon charges involve different elements that are separate to the federal stalking case.