The federal trial of Luigi Mangione in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has been pushed from the fall into January, a judge ruled Monday during a hearing that itself got off to a delayed start, this time because Mangione was stuck in a courthouse elevator.

A New Timeline for the Federal Case

U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett announced that the federal proceedings would be reshuffled to give Mangione’s legal team room to concentrate on his state murder trial, which is set to begin on September 8.

Under the revised schedule, jury selection in the federal case will now start on January 5 rather than October 13. Opening statements and testimony will follow on January 25, a substantial shift from the original November 4 date.

Garnett also addressed the questionnaire that prospective jurors will fill out, saying she would not release it until after the panel is seated. Letting it circulate online for months ahead of jury selection, she explained, would only complicate what already promises to be a difficult task.

A Second Courtroom Mishap

The hearing began on an awkward note. Wearing a beige jail suit, Mangione looked bemused as two deputy U.S. Marshals escorted him into the courtroom roughly 20 minutes after the proceeding was scheduled to start. He briefly scanned the gallery, where about two dozen of his supporters had gathered.

The court explained the holdup plainly, stating that Mangione was late due to elevator problems. It marked the second recent stumble surrounding his arrival at a court hearing. A June 16 hearing in the state case had to be delayed by a day after prosecutors failed to notify his jail that he was needed in court.

Why the Judge Couldn’t Wait

Garnett acknowledged that she had hoped, with what she called perhaps undue optimism, to hold the federal trial in the fall. But she concluded that the court could no longer wait to see how the state case unfolds.

In her view, it would be impossible to move through jury selection in the federal case while Mangione and his attorneys were fully consumed by the state trial. Running both at once, she reasoned, simply wasn’t workable.

Mangione’s lawyers declined to comment to reporters afterward.

The Defendant in Court

The 28-year-old Ivy League graduate appeared energetic and engaged throughout Monday’s brief hearing. At times he watched intently, knitting his fingers together and resting his chin on them. Before the proceeding began, he spoke animatedly with his attorneys, Karen Friedman Agnifilo and Marc Agnifilo, gesturing with his hands as he sat between them at the defense table.

Mangione has pleaded not guilty to both state and federal charges in the December 4, 2024, killing. He faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted in either case.

The Charges and the Crime

The federal charges allege that Mangione traveled across state lines by bus to stalk and kill Thompson. Prosecutors say he used a cellphone, the internet, and interstate highways, among other means, while planning and carrying out the attack, and that he stayed at a hostel serving out-of-state customers.

Thompson, 50, was killed as he walked to a Manhattan hotel for UnitedHealth Group’s annual investor conference. Surveillance footage showed a masked gunman shooting him from behind. Police say the words “delay,” “deny,” and “depose” were written on the ammunition, echoing a phrase often used to describe how insurers avoid paying claims.

Mangione was arrested five days later at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, roughly 230 miles west of Manhattan.

The Question of Two Trials

Mangione has openly objected to facing two separate trials. At a state hearing in February, he told the judge it amounted to the same trial twice, arguing that one plus one is two and calling it double jeopardy by any commonsense definition. His lawyers had similarly contended that back-to-back trials on a compressed timeline would violate his constitutional rights.

Key Rulings and a Reversed Defense

In January, Garnett took the death penalty off the table but ruled that items collected from Mangione’s backpack during his arrest could be used as evidence. Those items reportedly included a 3D-printed pistol that investigators said matched the weapon used to kill Thompson, along with a notebook in which authorities say Mangione described his intent to target an insurance executive.

The defense strategy has also shifted. Earlier this month, Mangione’s lawyers said they would pursue a psychiatric defense in the state case, only to reverse course a day later. That approach, which involves claims of extreme emotional disturbance at the time of the killing, is not permitted in federal court.

A Polarizing Figure

Mangione has become something of a cause célèbre among people frustrated with the health insurance industry. An online fundraiser for his legal defense has pulled in more than $1.5 million, and his court appearances continue to draw a devoted group of supporters. Some have shown up in “FREE LUIGI” T-shirts and green clothing, a nod to the Mario Bros. character Luigi.

With the federal trial now set for January and the state trial looming in September, the legal saga surrounding Thompson’s killing is poised to stretch well into the new year, keeping a case that has captivated and divided the public firmly in the spotlight.