Bragg Fights On as Mangione Reply Brief Sets December Hearing
By @sharedot · · 6 pages
- True Crime
- Luigi Mangione
- Double Jeopardy
- Tamika Chesser
Mangione's attorneys doubled down on their double jeopardy motion in a reply brief ahead of a December hearing on oral arguments.
What Happened in the Double Jeopardy Fight
Luigi Mangione's legal team has pushed back against prosecutors' opposition to dismissing his New York state murder case on double jeopardy grounds, according to TMZ.
In documents obtained by TMZ, Mangione's attorneys doubled down on their double jeopardy defense, arguing he had already been prosecuted in federal court in connection with the same firearm involved in the state case.
The reply brief came after Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg opposed dismissing the state charges, arguing the state and federal charges were distinct. A hearing has been set for December to begin oral arguments in the state case.
Why the Federal Plea Looms Over the State Case
The surprise here is how far Mangione's double jeopardy argument has traveled: he has already pled guilty in federal court to interstate stalking resulting in death and stalking through the use of interstate facilities resulting in death.
His attorneys argue that whether it is a state murder charge or a federal stalking charge resulting in murder, both are centered on the same misconduct — the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
A Parallel Case: Fitness to Stand Trial in Question
In a strikingly similar legal twist from Australia, Tamika Chesser — a former Beauty and the Geek contestant charged with murdering her partner Julian Story — pleaded not guilty in South Australia's Supreme Court to murder and destroying human remains to pervert the course of justice, per Yahoo News Australia.
After the pleas, the court heard the case may not progress to trial at all: prosecutors said assessments are needed to determine her mental capacity and whether she is mentally fit to stand trial.
Yahoo News Australia reports a recent privately obtained report found her unfit and provisionally mentally incompetent to commit the offences, with an additional report expected over the next three months.
What Comes Next for Both Cases
In Adelaide, Justice Adam Kimber adjourned Chesser's case until February next year for an update on the psychiatric assessments; the case will next be heard on February 15, 2027.
Chesser has been held under a mental health detention order at secure facility James Nash House since her arrest on June 19, 2025, and gave birth from custody earlier this year, per Yahoo News Australia.