The Manhattan District Attorney’s office is pushing back against Luigi Mangione’s legal team’s request that the accused Midtown assassin receive a laptop to review legal documents while behind bars.
Earlier this week, Mangione’s lawyers requested that their client, currently housed in Brooklyn, receive a laptop that would allow him to pour over legal fillings pertinent to his case, according to a legal filing. His team says the computer would not be able to connect to the internet, play movies, or run video games — it would solely be used to review legal information.
Mangione would need to review thousands of court documents, but his defense team argues that there is not enough time during visiting hours to scrutinize the paperwork.
Although federal prosecutors have not denied the request, those at the state level at Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office argue against it.
In a letter responding to the request that amNewYork obtained, the DA’s office responded by stating that Mangione should not be “treated differently than other defendants who would be prosecuted in this court” while adding that he has ample access to desktop computers at the jail.
They also maintained concerns regarding potential security leaks.
“Given the impossibility to review and redact all raw video surveillance obtained with respect to this case, there is a concern that should the defendant have unfettered access to video surveillance, he may disseminate images of civilians captured on said video surveillance,” part of the letter reads. “As the defense notes, the People are concerned about the sensitive nature of the materials at issue prior to the litigation of a protective order. Meanwhile, counsel contorts the People’s objection to defendant receiving a special laptop into yet another hollow excuse for delaying their filing of motions on the case.”
Meanwhile, prosecutors further maintained the issue of security concerns, revealing that during Mangione’s last court appearance, officers found heart-shaped notes stuffed into his clothing.
“Among the items of clothing was a new pair of argyle socks wrapped around cardboard. Secreted in the cardboard were two personal heart-shaped notes, one addressed to an unknown person named ‘Joan’ and the other to Luigi stating in part, ‘know there are thousands of people wishing you luck,’” the document read.
Despite the find, Mangione would still be permitted to wear the socks — though he apparently decided against doing so because he believed ”they did not look good.”
Mangione is accused of shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson dead outside a hotel on West 52nd Street on Dec. 4 in a brazen execution that stunned the world. Detectives eventually caught up to Mangione in Altoona, PA, after an intense, five-day manhunt.
