Imogen James
Live reporter, Washington DC

Luigi Mangione returned to court today, where he entered a not guilty plea against federal charges of murder, firearms offences and stalking.

He is accused killing of healthcare executive Brian Thompson, who was shot dead outside a New York hotel in December 2024.

The 26-year-old will now face two trials, as he has also pleaded not guilty to state charges for murder.

However, this federal one could carry the death penalty. Just last night, the prosecution filed that they would seek it.

It came up in court today, with the judge telling Mangione's lawyer to file new arguments asking for the government to be prevented from seeking the death sentence. That is due by 27 June.

Outside of court were both protesters and supporters, as has often been the case when Mangione appears. But the suspect avoided cameras today. Our reporters inside court told us he appeared in good spirits.

The trial likely won't start until 2026, as the court was today told there is a mountain of evidence to go through. But Mangione's lawyers are trying to bring it forward. They want it to go ahead of the state trial.

Our live coverage is wrapping up, but there's more on today's court happenings in our story.

Image source, Jane Rosenberg / Reuters

Artist Jane Rosenberg has just shared her sketch of today in court.

It shows Luigi Mangione alongside his legal team.

A brand new episode of the BBC's podcast "The Mangione Trial" comes out this evening, where we delve into the latest updates on the case.

This episode will feature Nada Tawfik, our New York correspondent, who was in court today.

You can listen on BBC Sounds, or wherever you get your podcasts.

You can also watch the episode on the BBC World Service's YouTube channel, external, where you can catch up on four previous episodes.

Madeline Halpert
Reporting from court

During the hearing today, we got a hint of some of the heaps of evidence that prosecutors and defence attorneys will take months to examine.

It includes police footage, law enforcement files, data from social media, financial and phone companies, Google Drive and iCloud.

Because of this, the judge set Mangione's next court date for 5 December, when she says they will set a "firm trial date".

The timeline is complicated by the high-profile attorneys in the case.

Mangione's lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, mentions in court that her husband (who is part of Mangione's defence) has another trial coming up soon.

Friedman Agnifilo's husband, Marc Agnifilo, is representing Sean "Diddy" Combs in his sex trafficking trial, which starts in two weeks.

Nada Tawfik
Reporting from court

The death penalty did indeed come up today.

The judge wants Karen Friedman Agnifilo to submit a new motion given her first one, requesting the government be prevented from seeking the death penalty, was submitted before Luigi Mangione was formally indicted. It was also before prosecutors had formally filed notice that they would seek the death penalty.

The judge has given her until 27 June to submit her new arguments.

However, the judge also asked prosecutors to remind the Attorney General Pam Bondi and government officials of rules surrounding public statements and their impact on a fair trial.

As we’ve said, potential capital punishment is why the defense wants this trial to proceed before the state trial.

Madeline Halpert
Reporting from court

Luigi Mangione appeared to be in good spirits in court today, dressed in a tan prison jumpsuit with his hands cuffed.

He occasionally looked around at the packed room of reporters and public, other times looking down and passing notes he wrote to his legal team.

The attorneys could not avoid discussion about the politics of the trial - and the death penalty at stake for Mangione.

Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Mangione's attorney, used the hearing to raise an issue she has brought up in most court hearings to date - that Mangione's "unprecedented dual prosecution" - both federal and state charges in New York - are causing "numerous logistical and constitutional issues".

Publicly, she has accused the federal government of playing politics in seeking the death penalty against Mangione in his alleged murder of a health care CEO.

President Donald Trump's Attorney General, Pam Bondi, said earlier this month that she directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty "as we carry out President Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again".

The judge directed prosecutors to remind Bondi and other government officials of how public commentary can affect the selection of jurors for a trial.

Image source, Reuters

Outside the court among a crowd of supporters and protesters is Chelsea Manning, a former US intelligence analyst who was court martialled and sentenced to 35 years in prison for leaking confidential documents to WikiLeaks. Manning's conviction was commuted by President Barack Obama.

"This case is being speed run in an unprecedented manner," Manning said.

Asked if she supported Mangione, Manning said she supported things being right and referenced the simultaneous cases Mangione is facing.

In addition to the federal charges, Mangione is facing several state charges in New York and in Pennsylvania where he was arrested.

Madeline Halpert
Reporting from court

Though largely bureaucratic, the 35-minute hearing was not free of tensions.

At one point, Mangione's lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, told the court that state prosecutors had been "eavesdropping" on Mangione's calls in jail with his lawyers.

Agnifilo said the eavesdropping was "inadvertent", and that one person had heard a call between her and her client. She asked federal prosecutors to ensure that no calls to his legal team are being recorded or listened to.

A federal prosecutor told the court it was "the first time" he's heard of this.

The judge asked the government to write a letter within seven days ensuring that Mangione is "afforded access" to a separate phone line for calls with his attorneys.

Madeline Halpert
Reporting from court

We've just finished a 35-minute long hearing in which Luigi Mangione entered his not guilty plea and lawyers attempted to set a schedule for his federal trial.

We learned the trial will not be before 2026, as prosecutors have a mountain of evidence - 3 terabytes worth of data - to go through.

Mangione's lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, attempted to make the case that Mangione's federal trial should take place before his state trial, which prosecutors hinted might have been scheduled for the fall.

Agnifilo said there would be "constitutional issues" if the state presents its case first.

The hearing is now finished, and the court has been adjourned.

That was quick - it lasted 35 minutes.

Just moments after Mangione entered court, he pleaded not guilty to all federal charges against him.

Stay tuned for more from our reporters who were in court today.

The judge tells the court she will hold the next conference in December, where she intends to set a date for the trial.

Sakshi Venkatraman
Reporting from court

Inside the court room, there were some Luigi Mangione supporters before the arraignment began. But they were ushered to an overflow room to make room for journalists covering the trial.

Supporters and detractors are also outside the court.

Image source, Reuters

As we have been reporting, Mangione is facing two cases murder cases.

One is for state charges, and the other is for federal charges.

Mangione has pleaded not guilty in both cases, so there will be two trials.

His lawyers have just told the court they want to have the federal case tried first, because it carries the potential of a death sentence.

Previously, it had been reported the state case would go ahead first.

The judge has ordered all discovery to be produced by the prosecution within 30 days. This will be on May 27.

This includes search warrants, social media, and information from the Pennsylvania prosecutors and Manhattan District Attorney. As a reminder, Mangione was arrested at a McDonald's in Pennsylvania.

In court cases, discovery is the formal process where each side gathers and exchanges information and evidence before a trial.

Sakshi Venkatraman
Reporting from court

Luigi Mangione has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of stalking, firearms offences and murder.

Mangione will now face a trial for the case of Brian Thompson's death.

Sakshi Venkatraman
Reporting from court

Luigi Mangione has arrived at court for the plea hearing in his federal case.

He's wearing a tan prison jumpsuit with his hands cuffed behind his back. He was flanked by his legal team.

Image source, CBS News

Luigi Mangione was arrested at a McDonald's resturant in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

Police allege that when they found him, he was in possession of a ghost gun - a firearm assembled from untraceable parts - a fake ID and a passport.

Mangione also allegedly had a handwritten document that expressed "ill will" towards corporate America and included passages such as "frankly, these parasites had it coming", according to police.

Investigators allege the words "deny", "defend" and "depose" were written on shell casings found at the scene of Thompson's murder.

Today’s court proceedings are called an arraignment.

That means it’s the first formal appearance after a set of charges have been brought.

In this case, it’s federal (national level) charges for counts of stalking, firearms offences and murder.

Throughout the proceedings, the defendant (Mangione) will hear the charges, their legal rights, and be asked to enter a plea.

The court will also decide if he can be released on bail or held in custody.

The arraignment is scheduled to start in about five minutes, so stick with us.

Image source, UnitedHealth

Brian Thompson was fatally shot in the back outside of a New York hotel.

Thompson was 50 at the time of his death, and the CEO of UnitedHealthcare - a healthcare insurance company in the United States.

Thompson was named chief executive of UnitedHealthcare - the largest private insurer in the US - in April 2021. He was paid $10.2m (£8m) in 2023.

He started at the company in 2004, before working his way up.

Thompson's widow told media that he had been receiving threats relating to medical "coverage" prior to his death.

A private funeral was held near to where the father of two lived in Maple Grove, Minnesota.

A statement issued on behalf of the family said: “We are shattered to hear about the senseless killing of our beloved Brian.

"Brian was an incredibly loving, generous, talented man who truly lived life to the fullest and touched so many lives."

UnitedHealth Group said it was "deeply saddened and shocked" by his death.

• Read more: Who was Brian Thompson, healthcare CEO gunned down in New York?

Madeline Halpert & Mike Wendling

The "brazen and targeted" killing of health insurance executive Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, outside a New York hotel last December shocked America.

The reaction to the crime also exposed a simmering rage against a trillion-dollar industry.

The latent anger felt by many Americans at the healthcare system - a dizzying array of providers, for profit and not-for-profit companies, insurance giants, and government programmes - burst into the open following the apparent targeted killing of Thompson in New York City.Thompson was the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, the insurance unit of health services provider UnitedHealth Group.

The company is the largest insurer in the US.In a statement, UnitedHealth Group said it had received many messages of support from "patients, consumers, health care professionals, associations, government officials and other caring people".

But online many people, including UnitedHealthcare customers and users of other insurance services, reacted differently.

Those reactions ranged from acerbic jokes (one common quip was "thoughts and prior authorisations", a play on the phrase "thoughts and prayers") to commentary on the number of insurance claims rejected by UnitedHealthcare and other firms.

At the extreme end, critics of the industry pointedly said they had no pity for Thompson. Some even celebrated his death.

• Read more: Killing of insurance CEO reveals simmering anger at US health system