Pennsylvania
Luigi Mangione seeks to dismiss Pennsylvania charges over ‘illegal’ arrest
The Pennsylvania lawyer representing Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old accused of killing United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, is seeking to dismiss the criminal charges he faces in the state.
The Ivy League graduate is accused of gunning down Thompson near a Midtown Manhattan hotel on December 4. Authorities believe he then escaped the crime scene by foot, bike, cab, and bus to Altoona, Pennsylvania, where he was arrested nearly a week later, concluding a manhunt that gripped the nation.
Police violated the law during its stop, arrest, and seizure of Mangione in December at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania on December 9, 2024, his lawyer Thomas Dickey argued in a motion Monday.
The charges he faces in the state were based on evidence “received as a fruit of an illegal stop, seizure, detention, and/or arrest,” the filing stated. Mangione has not yet made a plea in Pennsylvania.
Mangione is seeking to dismiss numerous state charges: forgery, firearms not to be carried without a license, tampering records, possessing an instrument of a crime, and false identification to law enforcement. He’s also asking the court to suppress evidence, search warrants, statements made at his arraignment, as well as the reference to his so-called “manifesto.” This label was “improper” and was done “solely for the purpose to prejudice the Defendant and put him in a negative light before the public,” Dickey argued.
The Altoona Police Department “lacked reasonable suspicion” to arrest and detain Mangione at that time, the attorney said.
Before the McDonald’s employee made the 911 call that led to Mangione’s arrest, the police had “no paperwork, photograph, warrant, communication, or other information in its possession corroborating the speculation that Defendant was in fact the person being sought in New York,” the filing says.
They also lacked “probable cause” to conduct a Terry frisk, since it was done despite “no factual basis to form a reasonable belief” that Mangione may be armed and dangerous.
Police officers blocked him from leaving the fast food restaurant; he didn’t know that he was free to go, the lawyer argued.
The “unlawful detention” spanned about 20 minutes while police tried to identify Mangione as the suspect wanted in New York. Although officers also sent a photo of the defendant to agents at the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office and FBI.
“No official identification of the Defendant, as being the suspect from New York, was ever made by any law enforcement personnel from the State of New York; the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, or the FBI,” Dickey argued. The purported identification as the wanted person in New York was “speculative and based on a hunch.”
Mangione was also not given any information as to why he was being held, the filing says.
After 15 minutes of “unlawful detention,” he was told he was “officially under a police investigation” but was not immediately read his Miranda rights.
Police also searched his belongings, including his backpack, without a valid warrant to search these items, the lawyer argued. They discover a 9mm handgun, a mechanized upper receiver, a suspected 3D-printed suppressor, some handwritten notes and a red notebook, dubbed by police as a “manifesto.”
Any and all items obtained from Magnione on December 9, 2024 should be suppressed, the lawyer argued.
This filing comes weeks after Karen Friedman Agnifilo, the attorney representing him in his New York state case, told the court during a pretrial hearing that she believes there were search and seizure violations during his Pennsylvania arrest.
She argued that he was “treated differently than other defendants,” since he was being held in federal custody despite the state case proceedings coming first.
He faces 11 criminal counts in New York, including murder as an act of terrorism, in connection with the December 4 killing; he has pleaded not guilty.
He also faces murder and stalking charges at the federal level. He has yet to make a plea in this venue.
Mangione is due back in federal court in New York on March 19.
A GiveSendGo legal fund, created by the December 4 Legal Committee, has garnered more than $720,000 as of Thursday. Mangione’s defense team last month said he would be accepting the funds.
“Luigi is aware of the fund and very much appreciates the outpouring of support. My client plans on utilizing it to fight all three of the unprecedented cases against him,” Agnifilo said.
DOYLESTOWN BOROUGH, PA — A major downtown street will be repaved under a resurfacing contract awarded this week by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT).
Borough officials, who have lobbied for years to have East and West State Street resurfaced, announced the news on Wednesday via its Facebook page.
When the project happens later this year, the work will be fully paid for under a major $8.3 million project bid award by PennDOT to repave 16 miles of state highways in Bucks County.
This marks the first time that State Street will be resurfaced since the 1990s, said borough officials, who credited an organized lobbying effort by local leadership and the community for pushing the project forward.
In its Facebook posting, the borough thanked State Sen. Steve Santarsiero, State Rep. Tim Brennan, Borough Council, Mayor Noni West, residents and business owners who brought the street’s condition to PennDOT’s attention.
State Street runs through the heart of the borough and serves as a heavily used business, tourism, and residential corridor for the town. It is home to the County Theater, a popular local and regional tourist attraction, the historic Doylestown Inn, and many other businesses.
More detailed timing and work plans are expected once the state finalizes its construction schedule.
One person is dead, and two others were taken to the hospital after a crash involving multiple vehicles in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, Tuesday afternoon, police said.
The crash happened around 4:45 p.m. at East Bristol Road and Brownsville roads, police said.
Police said a person driving a Toyota RAV4 was involved in a domestic-related incident in Lower Southampton Township before the crash.
The person driving the Toyota RAV4 was traveling eastbound at a high rate of speed, crossed into oncoming traffic and struck another vehicle while attempting to pass a Hyundai Kona, according to police.
The Toyota then became airborne, struck a Honda SUV and a Ford pickup truck and rolled over. The driver of the Toyota died in the crash, police said.
The driver of the Hyundai Kona left the road and came to a rest after striking a fence on Bristol Road, according to police.
It’s unclear if any drugs or alcohol were factors in the crash, police said.
Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact Bensalem police.
Pennsylvania
Digital News Publishers Launch Pennsylvania Independent News Association (PiNA) to Advocate for Local News Organizations – Saucon Source
The publishers of two dozen local news brands across Pennsylvania today announced the official formation of the Pennsylvania Independent News Association (PiNA).
The new Harrisburg-based organization is dedicated to bringing together digital-first local news organizations to strengthen the independent press, modernize laws and policies, and ensure the long-term sustainability of community news.
“The news industry is in a period of profound transformation, and digital news publishers need a seat at the table,” said Tom Sofield, PiNA’s president and publisher of LevittownNow.com.
PiNA’s mission is to provide these publishers with a collective voice, advocating for policies that reflect the modern reality of news consumers, local businesses and civic organizations.
An immediate focus for the new association is the reform of Pennsylvania’s outdated public notice laws, which currently prohibit digital outlets from publishing legal notices. PiNA seeks the right for qualified and established digital outlets to compete against incumbent print outlets and for local municipalities to choose the publication and medium that’s best for their communities. PiNA’s proposed amendment draws from similar legislation in Virginia that was signed into law in 2024.
“PiNA publishers have long been ready to compromise and find policy solutions that work for all Pennsylvanians,” said PiNA secretary and treasurer Davis Shaver, publisher of LebTown. “When lawmakers and local government organizations say they want the ability to self-publish notices, it’s a result of legacy newspapers treating the print monopoly over public notices as a profit center.”
PiNA’s position is that independent outlets can provide the third-party affidavits of publication required to demonstrate compliance with public notice mandates–an essential role of the notice process that would not be possible if agencies were allowed to publish on their own websites.
“We understand why self-publication is desirable, but it’s not the only way to provide urgently needed financial relief for the onerous print newspaper tax on public notices,” said Shaver. “We’re tired of waiting for legacy newspapers to disrupt themselves. Enough is enough, let’s move on.”
PiNA has already engaged with state legislators from across the Commonwealth. PiNA leadership said that the group has been encouraged to learn that its position has widespread support. In particular, PiNA commends Representative Robert Freeman (D-136) for his leadership on this issue.
PiNA represents a group of serious-minded news organizations and leaders. Its membership spans the Commonwealth, from the most rural area to the suburbs and to the neighborhoods of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. PiNA member outlets are read by millions of Pennsylvanians monthly.
“We are coming together to advocate for our staffs, our readers and common-sense policies–like public notice reform–that support a free and modern press,” said Sofield. “By combining our strengths, we can ensure that every community in Pennsylvania has access to reliable local news.”
The association will work to bring collaboration among the locally-owned Pennsylvania small businesses to share ideas and solutions for growth, technology and sustainable revenue models.
“We believe in the power of local news to build stronger communities and improve lives,” said Sofield. “By forming PiNA, we’re creating a base for independent publishers to thrive together.”
PiNA is focused on ensuring that high-quality, trustworthy local news is a permanent fixture in Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. The founding members of PiNA include Burb Media, EYT Media Group, Fideri News Network, Lazerpro, Lebanon Publishing Company, NCPA Media LLC and Street Light Media Group. The first associate members include West Hills Gazette and Saucon Source.
Member Outlets: AroundAmbler.com, CentralBucksNews.com, explore814.com, exploreClarion.com, exploreJeffersonPA.com, exploreVenango.com, GlensideLocal.com, HorshamNow.com, LebTown.com, LevittownNow.com, MediaPANow.com, MoreThanTheCurve.com, NewHopeFreePress.com, NewtownPANow.com, NorthCentralPA.com, NorthPennNow.com, PerkValleyNow.com, PhillyDaily.com, SauconSource.com, StateCollege.com, WestHillsGazette.com, WillowGroveNow.com, and WissNow.com.
About PiNA
The Pennsylvania Independent News Association (PiNA) is a trade association representing digital-first local news publishers. PiNA works to promote the health and sustainability of independent news outlets through advocacy, collaboration and innovation.
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