How the accused UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter could get away with murder
Could the man accused of shooting and killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on video get away with murder? While the immediate response would seem to be “no” considering the evidence, legal analysts say there is a chance, however small, Luigi Mangione could avoid a murder conviction.
Increasing public sympathy for Mangione could result in what’s called jury nullification despite the large amount of evidence stacked against him, according to some legal experts.
Jury nullification is when a jury returns a not guilty verdict even though all the jurors believe beyond a reasonable doubt the defendant did what he is accused of.
Mangione has been charged with multiple counts of murder, including murder as an act of terrorism, under federal law. He also faces state charges in New York and Pennsylvania.
He faces the death penalty in the federal charges, while the maximum sentence for the state charges is life in prison without parole. Prosecutors say the two cases will be tried in mostly the same way, with the state charges expected to go to trial first.
Since his arrest, Mangione has gained many supporters. Many of them have posted sympathetic messages online or created fan accounts.
Supporters have even raised thousands of dollars on crowdfunding sites to pay for his legal defense fund. Many see Mangione’s alleged crimes as a form of protest against the American health care system.
Court proceedings in Mangione’s case were slated to start on Jan. 18. However, the deadline for indictment was pushed to Feb. 17 after both prosecutors and Mangione’s attorneys told a federal court they need more time to prepare.
Trump sentenced in hush money case: no jail, no conditions
President-elect Donald Trump received no jail time in his hush money case sentencing. While the move was expected, he’s now a convicted felon 10 days before the start of his second term.
Judge Juan Merchant sentenced Trump to an unconditional discharge on Friday, Jan. 10. That means even though he won’t go to jail, get probation or face any fines, he will enter office as a convicted felon, making him the first to carry that distinction into the White House.
Trump appeared virtually for the sentencing after being found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records. The charges involved an alleged scheme to hide a hush money payment to Stormy Daniels in the last weeks of Trump’s first campaign in 2016.
The court released audio playback of the sentencing, which was not allowed to be broadcast on live media.
“This has been a very terrible experience,” Trump said at one point. “It’s been a political witch hunt. It was done to damage my reputation so that I would lose that election and obviously that didn’t work.”
Shortly after the sentencing, with Trump’s gag order expired, the president-elect reiterated what he said during his court hearing posting to Truth Social that there was “never a case” and called it a “hoax” and an “un-American witch hunt,” adding that he will appeal.
The sentencing was allowed to go forward after the Supreme Court decided Thursday, Jan. 9 to reject Trump’s request to drop the proceeding. Trump’s legal team asked the court to intervene after the judge said he would go forward with the unconditional discharge ruling.
Judge sets Trump hush money case sentencing, decides no jail time
A judge upheld President-elect Donald Trump’s conviction in his hush-money case, with his sentencing scheduled just a little over a week before he’s due to return to the White House. However, he’s not expected to face jail time.
Judge Juan Merchan rejected Trump’s push to throw out the case on presidential immunity grounds. Judge Merchan said he would sentence President-elect Trump on an unconditional discharge, a rare and lenient alternative to jail or probation.
While Merchan said that he can’t determine Trump’s sentence yet without hearing from Trump and others in the case, he said his unconditional discharge decision means Trump will avoid serious punishment, but his conviction remains on his record.
He also said his choice respects the sanctity of the jury’s guilty verdict on 34 counts of falsifying business records.
The charges involved an alleged scheme to hide a hush money payment to Stormy Daniels in the last weeks of Trump’s first campaign in 2016.
The judge set Trump’s sentencing hearing for Jan. 10. He can appear virtually or in person.
Trump’s lawyers haven’t commented yet on the judge’s decision. However, they previously said they would appeal any effort to sentence him before inauguration day.
Editor’s note: In a previous version of this story, Straight Arrow News incorrectly reported that President-elect Donald Trump would be sentenced on a conditional charge. Judge Juan Merchan said he would actually sentence Trump to an unconditional discharge. Straight Arrow News deeply regrets this error, which has been corrected as of 1/09/2025.
Trump loses appeal in E. Jean Carroll sexual abuse and defamation case
A federal appeals court upheld a sexual abuse verdict against Donald Trump. The ruling on Monday, Dec. 30, stems from a civil case verdict that found the president-elect guilty in a case involving E. Jean Carroll.
The court also denied Trump’s request for a new trial.
Trump had challenged the $5 million verdict, saying the judge shouldn’t have allowed testimony from two other women who also accused Trump of sexual assault.
Evidence also included Trump’s comments on the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape.
The appeals court disagreed and said it was not persuaded that a new trial was warranted.
In 2023, Carroll testified that she had run into Trump at Bergdorf Goodman on Fifth Avenue in 1996 when he asked her to help him buy a gift for a female friend.
Carroll said he pulled her into a dressing room and began assaulting her.
She kept the encounter a secret until 2019 when her book excerpt was published in New York Magazine.
Carroll sued under the “New York State Adult Survivors Act.” The legislation is a state bill that created a window allowing others to bring forward sexual assault claims, even if the statute of limitations had expired.
Trump’s spokesperson, Steven Cheung, said another appeal is coming.
“The American people have re-elected Trump with an overwhelming mandate and they demand an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and swift dismissal of all of the witch hunts, including the democrat funded Carroll hoax, which will continue to be appealed,” Cheung said.
Carroll’s attorney commented on the decision thanking the court for its “careful” consideration of the parties’ arguments.
Man found guilty in murder of Indiana teen girls sentenced to 130 years
The man found guilty of killing two teenage girls in a highly publicized trial in Indiana will spend the rest of his life in prison. On Friday, Dec. 20, a judge sentenced Richard Allen to the maximum punishment of 130 years.
In November 2024, a jury found Allen guilty in the murders of 13-year-old Abigail Williams and 14-year-old Liberty German in 2017 in Delphi.
Prosecutors say he kidnapped and killed them, leaving their bodies near a trail in the city of Delphi.
The case went cold for more than five years until Allen was arrested in 2022.
Prosecutors claimed Allen confessed to the murders multiple times while waiting for trial. His lawyers said the so-called confessions were due to a mental health crisis Allen was suffering.
After the sentencing, Libby’s grandfather, Mike Patty spoke at a news conference about the case finally coming to an end.
“I really wanted to take the time to send out my appreciation that justice has been served for the girls,” Patty said.
Carroll County Sheriff Tony Liggett shared the impact the trial has had on the community.
“There will never be any closure in this case,” Liggett said. “The Germans and the Williams family lost their daughters, their granddaughters, their siblings. Justice was served but it does not bring Abby or Libby back.”
Cameras were not allowed in the courtroom, but Allen reportedly rolled his eyes at the judge and showed zero remorse during the trial.
He did not speak during Friday’s hearing.
Suspect charged with murder in killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO
The man accused of gunning down the CEO of UnitedHealthcare on a New York City sidewalk is charged with murder. And the Biden administration levels allegations of war crimes against two Syrians who were high-raking members of the now ousted regime. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024.
Suspect charged with murder in killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO
After nearly a week of searching, the manhunt for the suspected gunman who shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a New York City hotel last week is over. Police said they located the 26-year-old suspect inside a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 300 miles from New York on Monday, Dec. 9.
The New York City Police Department filed first-degree murder charges against Luigi Mangione, according to court documents released Monday night. Mangione also faces charges of possession of a loaded firearm, possession of a forged driver’s license, and criminal possession of a weapon.
Mangione is described as a former high school valedictorian and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, who grew up in Maryland but has also had past addresses in California and Hawaii.
Mangione was taken into custody in Altoona after authorities said a McDonald’s employee recognized him as the person of interest seen in images related to Thompson’s shooting death.
When police arrived on the scene, they questioned Mangione. According to court documents, Mangione “started to shake” when asked if he’d recently been in New York City. Authorities said at first, he lied about his identity.
So proud of @NYPDMTN Detectives, and our Major Case and Homicide Squads, who worked around-the-clock on the homicide investigation in Midtown. I joined them last night to thank them for their dedication. No doubt, their work was instrumental to identifying the person of interest… pic.twitter.com/jAFA7JDcHd
Court documents show he was carrying a black 3-D printed pistol with a silencer. The NYPD said the “ghost gun” found on him was consistent with the one used in the murder. Ghost guns do not have serial numbers.
Police said Mangione also had on him a fake ID, matching the one used by the suspect at a New York City hostel before the shooting, and a three-page written note.
“That document is currently in the possession of the Altoona Police Department as part of their investigation but just from briefly speaking with them, we don’t think that there’s any specific threats to other people mentioned in that document, but it does seem that he has some ill will toward corporate America,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenney said.
Multiple reports Tuesday morning, Dec. 10, claimed those writings included the phrases “these parasites had it coming” and it “had to be done.”
During a press conference Monday evening, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) spoke of how the killing has led to some people online sharing their frustrations and anger over the healthcare system but emphasized that Mangione is not a martyr.
“In some dark corners, this killer’s being hailed as a hero,” Shapiro said. “Hear me on this: he is no hero. The real hero in this story is the person who called 911 at McDonald’s this [Monday] morning. The real heroes every day in our society are the women and men who put on uniforms like these and go out in our communities to keep us safe. This killer is not a hero. He should not be hailed.”
Mangione will remain in custody in Pennsylvania pending his extradition to New York, which is expected to take place later this week.
Jury finds former US Marine not guilty in NYC chokehold death trial
Tensions remain high in New York after a jury acquitted U.S. Marine veteran Daniel Penny of all charges on Monday, including criminally negligent homicide, in the chokehold death of a schizophrenic man, whose behavior had some people on the New York subway testifying they feared for their lives.
The caught-on-camera deadly incident from May 2023 saw Penny put Jordan Neely in a chokehold from behind after Neely walked up and down the F train saying “somebody is going to die today”.
Prosecutors said the chokehold lasted too long, was reckless, and resulted in the 30-year-old homeless man’s death. The defense brought an expert in to show Neely was under the influence of the synthetic marijuana drug K2, arguing he died from drug use and a previous medical condition.
Outside the Manhattan courthouse Tuesday, fights broke out as protesters and counter-protesters clashed. After the verdict Neely’s father stated, “There is no justice.”
US charges 2 former Syrian officials with war crimes
The United States has charged two former high-ranking Syrian intelligence officials with war crimes. The DOJ said during Bashar al-Assad’s regime, Jamil Hassan and Abdul Salam Mahmoud oversaw operations of a detention facility where Americans and civilians who had been deemed enemies of the state were tortured.
In other developments in the Middle East, the U.S. has also sent a special envoy to Beirut, Lebanon to find out what happened to Austin Tice. Tice is an American journalist who vanished in Syria 12 years ago.
"We have heard from sources that have been vetted by the U.S. government that Austin is alive." Austin Tice has been missing in Syria for 12 years. Today his brother & sister tell me "every day is a day that Austin should be released and a day that Austin could be released." pic.twitter.com/o08OgOFKEm
On Sunday, Dec. 8, President Joe Biden said he believes Tice is still alive and his administration is committed to bringing him home. Syria has publicly denied holding Tice.
Meanwhile, Israel has launched a large-scale attack on Syria, striking what it called strategic military sites after the fall of the al-Assad government. It also expanded its presence into the Golan Heights, a buffer zone along the country’s border with Syria.
Israel claimed the move is temporary and aimed at ensuring nearby areas are not exposed to any potential security threats, but Iran has appealed to the United Nations Security Council, saying the expansion is a “flagrant violation” of U.N. charter, breaking a 50-year cease-fire agreement.
Hegseth looks to shore up Senate support on Capitol Hill
President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary is back on Capitol Hill this week. He’s looking to shore up support from Senate Republicans.
Pete Hegseth met with Senators Joni Ernst and Lindsey Graham on Monday. Both had expressed concerns over allegations against Hegseth of sexual misconduct, financial mismanagement of veterans’ charities and excessive drinking.
Hegseth denies a lot of it and says he is changed man. He served in the Army in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Lord & Taylor to relaunch as online discount luxury retailer
Another department store chain is set to make an internet comeback. Lord & Taylor is set to relaunch in 2025 as a discount luxury e-commerce platform offering designer goods and Lord & Taylor-branded products, according to its new owner.
Regal Brands Global acquired the Lord & Taylor intellectual property in September after its previous owner, Saadia Group — which had re-launched the chain as an e-commerce website in 2021 — ceased operations.
Regal Brands reportedly aims to position Lord & Taylor products to compete with other high-end retailers such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom.
‘Emilia Perez’ receives most Golden Globe nominations
Jurors deliberated over whether Penny committed criminally negligent homicide when he put Neely in a chokehold on a New York City subway in May 2023.
The jury had been deadlocked on another charge of manslaughter last week, but at the request of prosecutors on Friday, Dec. 6, Judge Maxwell Wiley dropped the second-degree manslaughter charge and ordered the jury to focus on the lesser charge of negligent homicide.
Both were felony charges and carried with them years behind bars if Penny were to be convicted.
Prosecutors accused Penny of killing Neely when he placed him in a six-minute chokehold, and the city’s medical examiner said Penny’s chokehold killed Neely.
However, the defense contended Neely died from drug use and a previous medical condition.
Penny’s lawyers said he meant to save subway passengers from Neely, who witnesses say was acting erratically and yelling when he entered the subway.
Prosecutors argued Penny acted with too much force against Neely, who had schizophrenia.
The case has been subject to protests among advocates for a guilty verdict and advocates for a not-guilty verdict.
Fox News reports that before deliberations began on Monday, demonstrators for and against Penny’s acquittal argued outside of the courthouse.
The noise from the protests outside could reportedly be heard inside the courtroom, and Penny’s lawyers argued they could be viewed as threats against the jury, citing statements from protesters like, “If we don’t get no justice, we don’t get no peace.”
Assistant Manhattan District Attorney Dafna Yoran responded by saying, “There were no threats to the jury.”
Judge Wiley said he would allow the jury to continue deliberations. However, he noted, if there were any more interruptions, he would call both legal teams back to the bench.
Neely’s father told reporters after the verdicts outside the courthouse that he believed the “system is rigged,” but called on everyone upset with the verdict to “help one person,” adding, “that’s how we beat the system.”
Meanwhile, supporters of Penny, like former public defender Maud Maron told Fox News that jurors “got it right” and asserted Penny should have never been facing charges in the first place.
Jury deadlocked in NYC chokehold death case as lawyers consider next steps
The jury in Daniel Penny’s manslaughter and negligent homicide trial delivered a note to the judge on Friday, Dec. 6, revealing jurors are deadlocked. The jury reportedly can’t come to a decision on the first charge of manslaughter.
Now, Judge Maxwell Wiley is deciding whether or not to give the jury a so-called Allen charge, which instructs a hung jury to make every effort possible to come to a verdict. Maxwell is also giving the legal teams more time to determine their next steps.
The verdict form reportedly advises the jury to decide on the first count, second-degree manslaughter before moving on to the second charge of criminally negligent homicide.
The prosecutor in the case said, “It would be a crazy result to have a hung jury just because they can’t move on to the second count?”
Jurors have reportedly been deliberating for 18 hours since they took the case on Tuesday, Dec. 3. The 25-year-old Penny, a former U.S. Marine, is accused of killing Jordan Neely as he put him in a chokehold for six minutes on a New York City subway in 2023.
Penny’s lawyers argue against the city’s medical examiner’s finding that the chokehold caused Neely’s death, and the defense’s pathologist contends Neely died from a combination of synthetic marijuana known as K-2, schizophrenia and the struggle with Penny.
Witnesses say Neely entered the subway yelling and moving erratically with Penny’s attorneys calling him “insanely threatening.” Penny has pleaded not guilty to both charges.
Federal judge rebukes Biden’s pardon of Hunter as trying to ‘rewrite history’
A federal judge rebuked President Joe Biden’s claims that his son, Hunter Biden, was unfairly prosecuted. In a court order issued Tuesday, Dec. 3, U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi criticized the president’s statement suggesting Hunter Biden was singled out for political reasons.
In a statement, President Biden said, “I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process, and it led to a miscarriage of justice. I hope Americans will understand why a father and a president would come to this decision.”
However, Judge Scarsi rejected that argument, noting that Hunter Biden admitted to evading taxes even after regaining sobriety and having the means to pay. The judge also dismissed claims that the case was politically motivated. He pointed out the Justice Department oversaw the investigation.
“The president’s own Attorney General and Department of Justice personnel oversaw the investigation leading to the charges… The Constitution provides the president with broad authority to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, but nowhere does the Constitution give the president the authority to rewrite history,” Scarsi wrote.
The president’s pardon, issued before the end of Sunday, Dec. 1, applied not only to tax and gun charges but also to any future charges related to crimes committed by Hunter Biden from Jan. 1, 2014, through Dec. 1, 2024. The judge raised concerns over the inclusion of potential future offenses, questioning whether the president exceeded his constitutional pardon powers.
Scarsi said he would close the tax case once official pardon paperwork is received. Meanwhile, Hunter Biden’s gun case is officially closed. However, prosecutors argue the charges should remain on the record despite the pardon.
The president’s actions come after Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to nine tax offenses, admitting to failing to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes and was convicted in a separate gun case earlier this year. The charges in his tax case carried a sentence of up to 17 years in prison.
Conor McGregor ordered to pay $257K over sexual assault case
Mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor must pay 250,000 euros (about $257,000 USD) following a civil court jury’s verdict in Dublin, Ireland. The jury found McGregor liable Friday, Nov. 22, for assaulting a woman in a hotel room in December 2018.
The woman, who has remained anonymous, claimed McGregor raped and battered her after a night of partying. She said the attack left her with severe bruising and post-traumatic stress disorder.
BBC News reports a paramedic who examined the woman the next day testified that her injuries were some of the worst bruising she had ever seen.
Jury deliberation and McGregor’s response
According to The Associated Press, the jury deliberated for six hours and McGregor shook his head in court as they read their verdict. The fighter denied all allegations, insisting their encounter was consensual. He argued the woman fabricated her claims.
In a statement outside the courthouse, the woman thanked her loved ones for their support. She emphasized the importance of standing up for oneself, saying she wanted to set an example for her daughter.
McGregor to appeal
Shortly after the verdict, McGregor said in a social media post on X he intends to appeal.
I will be appealing today's decision. The judge's instruction and the modest award given was for assault, not for aggravated or exemplary damages. I am disappointed that the jury did not hear all the evidence that the DPP reviewed. I am with my family now, focused on my future.…