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Luigi Mangione scored a significant legal victory on Tuesday when a judge dropped the primary pair of state charges facing him: first-degree murder and intentional killing, both of which prosecutors had argued were terrorism crimes.

Outstanding Charges and Federal Prosecution

Mangione continues to confront an further second-degree murder charge, as well as a federal murder charge, in the killing of United HealthCare executive Brian Thompson last December.

The judge handling the defendant’s state criminal case, Gregory Carro, laid out his decision in a written opinion that was published during a 15-minute proceeding in a New York courtroom on Tuesday.

“Charges 1 and 2, charging the accused with Murder in the First Degree (in furtherance of an act of terrorism) and Murder in the Second Degree as a Crime of Terrorism, are dismissed as legally insufficient,” Carro wrote.

National Accusations and Courtroom Appearance

The suspect also is charged with federal charges for reportedly gunning down Thompson outside a hotel, and firearm-related counts.

He entered the Manhattan courtroom shortly prior to 9:30am, dressed in khaki jail scrubs, with restrained hands and chained feet. His appearance came less than a week after the conservative speaker Charlie Kirk was killed by gunfire during an event at Utah Valley University.

Political Backdrop and National Response

Although a reason in Kirk’s shooting remains unknown, right-leaning voices have pointed to the event to demand the probing of left-wing organizations. Donald Trump has demanded the death penalty against the suspected Kirk shooter, Tyler Robinson, and his justice department are pursuing the death penalty for Mangione.

The US attorney general, Pam Bondi, called Thompson’s killing “a planned, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America”. Bondi said her decision was in alignment with “Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and improve national security”.

The killing ignited a contentious public debate about American medical systems that crossed the political aisle, with certain voices supporting Mangione and denouncing medical corporations and numerous commentators outraged that a homicide would be used to express policy disagreements.

Backers Gather Near Courtroom

During the hearing near the 100 Center Street building, similar to his previous hearings, Mangione supporters assembled for a sight of him, queuing for courtroom seats and using yellow index cards that secured access. One woman wore a dark top emblazoned with “FREE LUIGI” and another a light-colored shirt reading “LUIGI’S PIZZA”.