Mangione has pleaded not guilty to murder, stalking and unlawful possession of a weapon. Although officials strongly condemned the crime, a segment of the American public, dissatisfied with high health care costs and insurance company practices, sees Mangione as a symbol of resistance to such a system.
The evidentiary hearing, held before District Court Judge Margaret Garnett, considered the legality of the police search of Mangione’s backpack during his arrest in the state of Pennsylvania. His lawyers argue that the evidence found in the backpack – which included a nine millimeter pistol, a silencer and notes from a diary – was obtained illegally because police did not have a search warrant.
The prosecution, on the other hand, alleges that a warrant was not necessary since Mangione was lawfully arrested for providing false identification. According to their interpretation, the police had the right to search the bag in order to check whether the suspect had dangerous items with him before transport.
Mangione was brought to court in prison garb, with shackles on his legs. His defense attorney, Marc Agnifilo, questioned Altoona Deputy Police Chief Nathan Snyder about standard procedures for searching property after an arrest. Snyder said that if police found something illegal like drugs or a firearm, they would “probably seek a search warrant,” but later added that if a gun were found, they would continue to search for other potentially dangerous items.
Judge Garnett closed the hearing without making a decision. Jury selection is scheduled for September 8. The defense has additionally requested that the indictment be dismissed due to what they say are legal defects or that the prosecution be barred from seeking the death penalty, citing a violation of Mangione’s constitutional rights.
Mangione is also being tried in a separate case before Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office, where a judge is also considering a request to exclude evidence found in the backpack, while a date for that trial has not yet been set.
(Vijesti.ba)
