Judge blocks some evidence in Mangione state case

NEW YORK (Gray Media) - A New York State Supreme Court judge issued a mixed ruling Monday in the Luigi Mangione case, deciding that some evidence found in his backpack during his arrest cannot be used by prosecutors, while other key items will be allowed at trial.

Justice Gregory Carro ruled that officers who arrested Mangione at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, five days after the alleged killing of Thompson, did not have a search warrant to go through his backpack at the time of his arrest.

As a result, a gun magazine, cellphone, passport, wallet, and computer chip found in the bag will be suppressed from the state case.

In a win for the prosecution, items discovered during a subsequent search at the police station, including a handgun and Mangione’s notebook, will be admissible. Mangione’s defense team had challenged the evidence in both his state and federal cases, arguing the warrantless backpack search at the time of arrest was unlawful.

The rulings diverge between the two cases: the federal judge overseeing Mangione’s parallel prosecution has ruled that all evidence found in the backpack can be used in that proceeding.

Monday’s ruling came during a series of pretrial hearings that are steadily moving the case toward trial. The state trial is scheduled to begin September 8, while the federal trial is set for January.