Luigi Mangione has made a special plea to the United States government regarding the death penalty amid his murder trial.

Mangione had his federal hearing pushed back this week, but he still managed to prompt an interesting storyline ahead of the weekend.

According to reports, the 26-year-old asked a federal judge to prevent the government from trying to enforce the death penalty if he’s found guilty.

Mangione stands accused of shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in the back in broad daylight on a Manhattan street back in December. He was arrested several days later and is said to have been found with the murder weapon on his person.

Luigi Mangione’s Attorney’s Accuse The Government Of Shady Behavior

Luigi Mangione is facing both state and federal charges, with the latter carrying the potential of the death penalty. However, his defense team argues the Justice Department made a breach of protocol.

“When the United States plans to kill one of its citizens, it must follow statutory and internal procedures,” Mangione’s attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, said, per ABC News . “Mangione seeks Court intervention now not merely because the Government has failed to follow these procedures but because it has abandoned them.”

Mangione will next appear before a judge on April 18 and will have a state hearing in June. He has yet to plead not guilty to state charges but has pleaded not guilty to the federal ones.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York declined comment on the matter.

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