New York Judge Gregory Carro sealed a virtual hearing on Wednesday, forbidding the press and public from attending a hearing in the state murder case of Luigi Mangione, who is charged with killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
The judge’s decision came on the defendant’s request, but no further details were given, leaving many to wonder whether the court will maintain transparency in a case with intense public interest.
While court proceedings are ordinarily open to the public in New York, judges can close them to protect confidential information. On the very day of the hearing, all parties, including Mangione’s attorneys and prosecutors, appeared via video conference, but the courtroom was sealed for all others.
After the hearing, Judge Carro noted it was “sealed at the moment” and scheduled an in‑person hearing for June 16, which he said would be open to the public.
Spokespeople for Mangione’s defense and the Manhattan district attorney’s office declined to comment on the sealing, and a request for comment was pending from the New York court system’s press desk.
Veteran New York City courts reporter Laura Italiano, who was present at the last hearing, noted that this is the third time in six months the judge and court staff have silenced reporters seeking information about the case. In December, a reporter was ejected from the courtroom after objecting to a sealed decision; in February, the judge held a 27‑minute off‑the‑record bench conference to discuss scheduling and jury questions.
“We’re seeing serious transparency problems,” Italiano said. “There’s huge public interest in this case and the judge is carrying on as if that were not the case.”
In the most recent virtual hearing, Mangione was 28 years old and had pleaded not guilty to both state and federal charges, which could result in a life sentence if convicted. His federal trial is set to begin on October 13, 2026.
Mangione, an Ivy League graduate from a wealthy Maryland family, was arrested on May 23, 2025, after a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, intercepted a suspicious passenger. On the night of April 3, 2025, Mangione allegedly shot Thompson, a 50‑year‑old CEO of UnitedHealth Group, as he walked toward a hotel for an investor conference. Surveillance video captured a masked man shooting Thompson from behind, and the gun used was a 3D‑printed pistol matched to the one prosecutors claim Mangione used in the crime.
During Wednesday’s hearing, the judge allowed the use of a notebook and a gun found during the investigation, which prosecutors say tie Mangione to the murder. The notebook reportedly contains statements like wanting to “wack” a health insurance executive and rebelling against “the deadly, greed‑fueled health insurance cartel.”
The judge’s decision to seal proceedings raises concern over whether the public is being adequately informed about evidence and legal arguments. The UnitedHealthcare investigation remains under close scrutiny, and witnesses are expected to reveal more as the trial proceeds.
}
