Judge Lets Jury See the Gun and Notebook in Luigi Mangione’s Murder Trial but the Feds Just Lost Their Biggest Bargaining Chip
A major setback.
Judge Gregory Carro just handed prosecutors a massive win in the Luigi Mangione murder trial. On May 18, 2026, the Manhattan judge ruled that the 3D-printed handgun and a notebook filled with what prosecutors call a murder manifesto can be shown to the jury when the trial starts on September 8. This decision strips Mangione of a key defense argument and could make it much harder for him to avoid a life sentence.
According to Us Weekly, the ruling came after nine days of pretrial hearings in December 2025, where Mangione’s lawyers fought to keep the evidence out. They argued that police violated Mangione’s rights by searching his backpack without a warrant when they arrested him at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, in December 2024.
Bodycam footage played in court showed officers questioning Mangione for nearly 20 minutes before reading him his Miranda rights, which the defense said should have made any statements he made inadmissible. Carro disagreed on the gun and notebook, saying police found them later at the station, but he did throw out other evidence like a loaded magazine, passport, and cellphone, calling the initial search improper.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to 11 state charges
Mangione, a 28-year-old Ivy League graduate, has pleaded not guilty to 11 state charges, including two terrorism-related counts that Carro dismissed in September 2025 due to lack of evidence. He’s also facing federal charges, but U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett dismissed two of those in January, including a firearm-related murder charge that could have carried the death penalty.
The federal trial is set for January 2027, and Mangione has pleaded not guilty there too. On top of all that, he’s dealing with five charges in Pennsylvania, including carrying a firearm without a license. His lawyers have called the multiple prosecutions “double jeopardy,” arguing he’s being punished twice for the same alleged crime.
Since his arrest, Mangione has become an unlikely cause célèbre, with tens of thousands of supporters rallying behind him. His legal defense fund has raised over $1.5 million, and he receives hundreds of letters daily at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. In his only public statement, made in February 2025, Mangione thanked his supporters, saying he reads every letter he gets.
“Powerfully, this support has transcended political, racial and even class divisions, as mail has flooded MDC from across the country and around the globe,” he wrote. The outpouring of support has been fueled in part by frustration with the U.S. healthcare system, as well as Mangione’s own appearance, which some fans have fixated on.
Some Mangione’s followers have managed to secure press passes
The fanbase has grown so large that some of Mangione’s most devoted followers have even managed to secure New York City press passes, giving them access to courtrooms and official events. According to the NY Post, three self-proclaimed “Mangionistas” – Abril Rios, Ashley Rojas, and Lena Weissbrot – were granted credentials this year, sparking widespread outrage.
Critics argue that the city’s relaxed press pass rules, which were reformed under former Mayor Bill de Blasio, have made it too easy for non-journalists to gain access. The rules now require applicants to submit six or more published articles, photos, or videos from the past two years, but the submissions only need to show coverage of events where the city set up barriers, like police or fire lines.
The decision to grant press passes to Mangione’s fans has drawn sharp criticism from city officials and media professionals. City Council Minority Leader David Carr called the fans “ghouls” and said they should never have been given access to courtrooms or official press events. “This is America. People have the freedom to say or write whatever awful, bats— crazy things they want,” Carr said.
“But these deranged homicide-fan girls should never be allowed access with the imprimatur of the City of New York.” Even Keith Powers, the former city councilman who sponsored the bill to change the credentialing rules, criticized the decision. “It’s a privilege to have a New York City press pass,” Powers said. “Anyone promoting or condoning violence is clearly not deserving of one, no matter what agency is issuing the passes.”
The controversy has reignited debates about the city’s press pass system
The system was taken away from the NYPD after 2020’s protests over the murder of George Floyd. The Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) now handles credentialing, but critics say the process is too vague and lacks proper vetting.
City Council Speaker Julie Menin, who previously served as MOME’s commissioner, called for significant reforms. “The ability of just about anyone to receive [press passes] without an appropriate vetting process presents real journalistic, public safety, and logistical concerns,” she said. Meanwhile, Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration has promised to reassess the rules after the backlash.
The Mangionistas aren’t the only controversial figures to receive press passes under the current system. A struggling YouTuber who sprayed baby oil on supporters of music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs after his acquittal on sex trafficking charges also got credentials. At the same time, many veteran reporters from mainstream outlets have been denied passes.
Former Mayor Eric Adams tried to rewrite the rules before leaving office, but his reforms were scrapped by Mamdani’s administration. Adams called the decision reckless, saying official press credentials should not be handed out in a way that allows extremists to abuse them while hiding behind the credibility of legitimate journalism.
(Featured image: Gabriele85)
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
Follow The Mary Sue:
