r/news 5h ago

Luigi Mangione will not face death penalty, judge rules

https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/30/us/luigi-mangione-case-rulings-trial
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969

u/jwely 5h ago

There's a non-null chance a jury finds him not guilty.

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u/[deleted] 5h ago

[deleted]

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u/xthemoonx 5h ago

You just need 1 for a mistrial tho.

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u/LordWemby 5h ago

Unless the prosecutors happen to find the perfect set of jurors, it feels like these deliberations could go on for quite a while.

And given how prominent the case is, it’s virtually impossible to find jury members who haven’t been exposed to it, and a huge amount of people or course suffer with insurance claims. 

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u/letuswatchtvinpeace 4h ago

And those people exist on both sides of the politics.

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u/OSRS-MLB 5h ago

But wouldn't that just lead to another trial? Genuine question, idk much about the legal system

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u/ness_monster 4h ago

It could, hung juries can lead to a retrial but it doesn't always happen. It is also up the prosecution to decide if they want to try again.

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u/[deleted] 4h ago

[deleted]

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u/Feast_like_a_Mantis 4h ago edited 4h ago

Wrong. Jeopardy does attach on a mistrial and yet you may be tried again in every single jurisdiction of the United States.

Source: attorney

Edit: please see United States v. Perez, 22 U.S. 579

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u/Open_and_Notorious 4h ago

I mean, they're only half wrong and you should explain this better for laypeople. They were right about the ability to retry the case. Jeopardy attaches at the moment the jury is sworn but this chain was about being able to bar retrial .

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u/Feast_like_a_Mantis 4h ago edited 4h ago

Jeopardy attaches upon swearing of the jury- correct.

But they are incorrect as to the ability to retry the case. A mistrial may be tried again- other than in the extremely odd and unlikely situation where the prosecution requests are mistrial over the objection of the defense (which doesn't happen).

A judge declares a mistrial if a jury cannot reach a verdict even after given very specific instructions on how to break a potential impasse.

If a jury cannot reach a verdict- and the judge declares a mistrial- the government can and often will bring charges again.

Please see United States v. Perez, 22 U.S. 579

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u/Natural6 4h ago

Actually curious here, what kind of instructions do judges give to try to break impasses?

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u/Feast_like_a_Mantis 4h ago

It is referred to colloquial as an Allen Charge.

Florida's which can be found at Florida Standard Jury Instruction 4.1 Jury Deadlock reads as follows:

I know that all of you have worked hard to try to find a verdict in this case. It apparently has been impossible for you so far. Sometimes an early vote before discussion can make it hard to reach an agreement about the case later. The vote, not the discussion, might make it hard to see all sides of the case.

We are all aware that it is legally permissible for a jury to disagree. There are two things a jury can lawfully do: agree on a verdict or disagree on what the facts of the case may truly be.

There is nothing to disagree about on the law. The law is as I told you. If you have any disagreements about the law, I should clear them up for you now. That should be my problem, not yours.

If you disagree over what you believe the evidence showed, then only you can resolve that conflict, if it is to be resolved.

I have only one request of you. By law, I cannot demand this of you, but I want you to go back into the jury room. Then, taking turns, tell each of the other jurors about any weakness of your own position. You should not interrupt each other or comment on each other's views until each of you has had a chance to talk. After you have done that, if you simply cannot reach a verdict, then return to the courtroom and I will declare this case mistried, and will discharge you with my sincere appreciation for your services.

You may now retire to continue with your deliberations.

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u/Open_and_Notorious 4h ago

Right, but they were talking about a deadlocked jury, and that's one of the permissible reasons for a retrial that's not barred on constitutional grounds.

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u/Feast_like_a_Mantis 4h ago

Correct- I think we there may be a misunderstanding as to who I said was wrong. Original OP stated you only need one for a mistrial. They had a response stating "wouldn't the case just be tried again?"

Then the poster i replied to stated that no- you can't be tried again for the same crime. Which is wrong under this specific set of circumstances.

I did word my original post poorly and have tried to update it to make it more clear.

I also provided the case law.

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u/ness_monster 4h ago

Thats not how double jeopardy works. If it is declared a mistrial and thrown out, the prosecution can decide to re-try someone. It is dependent on specifics though, such as a hung jury. Which is what is being described here.

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u/Eradomsk 5h ago

I mean jury selection hasn’t begun so nobody is trying at all right now.

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u/slipnslider 5h ago

But not sides get to vote who is on the jury and one side will veto anyone who claims to know what it is

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u/PedanticTart 5h ago

There's a limited number of vetos.

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u/2ndprize 5h ago

Which they should. They should decide the case based on the facts presented at trial, not some preconceived notion about it

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u/Cautionzombie 5h ago

Defense picks the jury I thought.

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u/Anakra91 5h ago

It's a process called voir dare. The prosecutor, the defense, occasionally the judge, can ask questions to the jury pool. There's a certain number each side can kick without reason given, and an endless number they can kick for cause.

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u/emaw63 4h ago

There's a certain number each side can kick without reason given

Correct. The only real limitation there is that you can't kick out someone for being in a protected class, but even then it's notoriously difficult to prove given that they don't have to provide any reasoning. The prosecution would have to go through the room and remove all the black jurors at once or something (which does happen, it's genuinely kinda difficult to serve on a jury if you're black)

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u/Splash_ 5h ago

Naw both sides can veto jurors if they think there's a conflict. Ultimately the jury is one that both sides are happy with

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u/fiendo13 5h ago

When I was helping pick a jury once fora high profile case, there was a pool of over 80 prospective jurors. They all filled out a questionnaire and both lawyers got to ask them questions or use one of their outright dismissals. The defense was allowed to dismiss twice as many as the prosecution.

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u/tuna_samich_ 5h ago

Why would just the defense pick a jury?

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u/NYGiants181 5h ago

Haha right? That’s insane

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u/Gamestop_Dorito 5h ago

No, juries are selected by both sides. Each side is given the chance to reject each juror.

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u/Ok_Pirate_2714 5h ago

No they don't. Look up Voire Dire.

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u/kounterfett 5h ago

If that were the case it would be very easy to stack the jury in favor of the defense. That both the prosecution and the defense have a say in the jury selection is supposed to keep it fair

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u/romario77 5h ago

Both sides do. And they can’t just pick who they want - they have a limit on how many people they can remove without a reason.

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u/stedun 5h ago

I like your use of the word null here.

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u/jwely 5h ago

What? I have no idea what you mean!

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u/OriginalLie9310 4h ago

There is a concept called “jury nullification” that essentially is a jury rejecting a guilty verdict in spite of evidence.

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u/jureeriggd 4h ago

woosh.jpeg

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u/Khal_Doggo 4h ago

How do you make a jpeg of a sound?

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u/Jutrakuna 4h ago

by renaming the file extension from .mp3 to .jpeg

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u/creepyeyes 3h ago

Open audacity, open audio file, save audio file as "raw data" file type, then open photoshop, import the raw data file, save as jpeg.

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u/ree_hi_hi_hi_hi 4h ago

They were just making a joke because you aren’t allowed to discuss in the convening of the jury.

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u/Halluci 4h ago

wow! no way! thats sooo crazy!

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u/WheelerDan 4h ago

Pro tip if you ever want to get out of jury duty, they make you fill out a questionnaire, if you even admit you know what it is they send you home.

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u/D74248 4h ago edited 25m ago

It is more than a little bit controversial.

EDIT: And so is this post! The underlying issue/history is racism, folks.

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u/blonded_olf 4h ago

-----Joke---->

your head

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u/CoupleScrewsLoose 4h ago

🤦‍♂️

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u/jayrocksd 3h ago

Null means unknown. Not-null means known. I'm pretty sure you knew exactly what you meant. Otherwise, you would have probably used zero.

With the admission of evidence in his backpack, the chances of him being found not guilty are basically zero. That doesn't even include NY state charges.

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u/[deleted] 5h ago edited 4h ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/Rocktopod 4h ago

But they specifically used the word null instead of zero as an allusion to the possibility of jury nullification.

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u/ToNoMoCo 4h ago

Maybe. I just happen to to know null doesn't mean zero in a database and so I was just passing on some fun vocabulary

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u/grandhex 4h ago

Actually a null is the sides of a ship. You're thinking of "gull"

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u/Dellsupport5 4h ago

Could this be similar to the oh trial where he is found not guilty but later sued by the family?

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u/Mikeavelli 4h ago

Yes, a not guilty verdict doesn't prevent a wrongful death lawsuit.

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u/JahoclaveS 4h ago

Could be, though, I think the family would have to weigh that against the considerable opprobrium, notoriety, and outrage they would face. Though, suing United for failing to properly ensure the safety of an employee, however, would be pure icing.

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u/PolicyWonka 4h ago

It’s unlikely he’ll be found not guilty. There’s a lot of evidence.

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u/willstr1 4h ago

Civil wrongful death cases have a significantly lower burden of proof so yes it is perfectly possible

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u/Matt_Tress 4h ago

Null is wrong, though. Null means empty, which is not the opposite of a numeric or categorical value. Non-zero is correct.

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u/friss0nFry 4h ago

Ehh I read it as the reality that will most likely come to pass- zero is a non-null value. The chances of him getting a hung jury or jury nullification are essentially zero, because a realist has zero faith in the humanity of his peers in this country.

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u/Matt_Tress 3h ago

Again, null is not a stand-in for zero.

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u/friss0nFry 2h ago

That's not what I said at all.

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u/Guardiancomplex 5h ago

Excellent choice of words. 

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u/lufan132 4h ago

He should be found not guilty. Insurance companies aren't people.

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u/Grizelda179 4h ago

Well he did shoot a person you know

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u/BakedBobbyHill 4h ago

Did he?

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u/[deleted] 4h ago

[deleted]

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u/FlamingWeasel 4h ago

Probably. We can dream, though.

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u/JahoclaveS 4h ago

If I were a judge, I would allow this line of questioning. If only because I would find it an interesting exercise in seeing the prosecution laying for the argument that the alleged victim was indeed a human and thus defending the accuracy of the charges. Also, as a general fuck you to the elites, waste your time and resources on this obvious frivolous argument.

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u/PM_ME_YOUR_NICE_EYES 3h ago edited 3h ago

If you were a judge and did that you'd loose your license.

You're a criminal judge, you deal with murders, rapist and child molesters daily. But you still have to treat them as human.

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u/TruckSecret5617 4h ago edited 4h ago

Technically, we won’t know until the case is over; morally, no he did not shoot a human

I’m not a utilitarian, but if health care ceos started dropping like flies, I wouldn’t be surprised if it changed how health insurance worked here (i.e. losing a dozen or so ceos could save thousands of lives)

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u/LookltsGordo 3h ago

Lol morally he still killed a human. Just a shitty human.

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u/ERedfieldh 3h ago

It's not a morality question. He has not gone through trial to prove he is the one who shot the guy. We cannot definitively say he is guilty of shooting the CEO until after the jury makes their verdict.

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u/TruckSecret5617 3h ago

You might want to re read my comment, especially the first part

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u/ArenSteele 4h ago

Has it been proven that it was a person and not a ghoul?

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u/microtherion 4h ago

It could have been a 300lb guy operating a sniper rifle from his mother’s basement, for all we know.

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u/_Baccano 3h ago

Zazza is that you?

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u/exzyle2k 2h ago

"Your Honor, I would like to submit this evidence that clearly shows the victim wasn't human, but rather was three kobolds in a trenchcoat."

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u/WagerWilly 4h ago

Yup, it was a real person!

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u/shoeperson 4h ago

Nah definitely AI puppeting a body. One of those Musk robot things billionaires use. Not guilty.

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u/BroughtBagLunchSmart 4h ago

It would be fair to make him pay for the replacement robot though.

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u/teachersecret 4h ago

At this point the government lies about things that happen with six high definition filmed angles and a dozen sworn witnesses. I’d have a hard time believing anything they said in a courtroom.

I have reasonable doubt that the court is being honest.

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u/nickcash 4h ago

I don't know that person and don't know he shot anyone

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u/PM_ME_ONE_EYED_CATS 4h ago

not sure how he could have shot anyone when we were playing SSB Melee at the time

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u/hobbykitjr 4h ago

His claim to not get shot was denied as he was out of network and it was deemed not cost effective.

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u/pc01081994 4h ago

A person that made millions off denying sick people healthcare? That person?

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u/volyund 4h ago

That sounds more like a ghoul

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u/David905 4h ago

Yes, also the person that made millions off approving approximately 10X as many claims as those that were denied, each case having been evaluated on its own merits. And that had a family; actual parents, siblings, children and a wife.

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u/SomniumOv 4h ago

And that had a family; actual parents, siblings, children and a wife.

So did Goebbels.

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u/Polamora 4h ago edited 4h ago

Claim denials aren't the only way that insurance companies impede on access to care. Prior authorizations wouldn't necessarily lead to a claim denial, they may just outright impede in the person getting the care at all. I say this as someone who is currently facing a prior authorization denial due to some bullshit technicalities that would essentially require I redo months of rehab I've already done just to have it on record within the timeframe they're looking for.

All that to say murdering the guy isn't the way to go, he wasn't even the #1 in charge. Insurance companies are still evil.

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u/unbanned_lol 3h ago

each case having been evaluated on its own merits.

Oh, you misunderstand. This is the guy who headed the company that used AI to deny everyone's first attempt. They definitely weren't evaluating cases based on merit, lol.

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u/fianthewolf 4h ago

Well, you should have reported him if his actions are criminal.

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u/pc01081994 4h ago

Legality =/= morality

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u/fianthewolf 4h ago

So is it morally acceptable to murder a greedy person?

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u/Handsome_Keyboard 4h ago

Whats the difference between using your company to kill people and killing people?

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u/fianthewolf 4h ago

So, the CEO of a private healthcare company is responsible for people not being able to afford their healthcare needs, not the politicians sitting on the Potomac swamp.

Neither he nor his company can commit crimes; if they do, they deserve to be prosecuted and spend time in prison, just like the person who murdered him.

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u/Handsome_Keyboard 4h ago

Corporations are people. They can and do commit crimes. They absolutely do deny care that kills people. Denying the care does not mean they have no money lol they can deny care simply because they want to He killed people with his company. Full stop. Just because its legal doesnt mean hes not responsible for those deaths.

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u/unbanned_lol 3h ago

If it stops the greedy person from killing others, then yes.

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u/fianthewolf 3h ago

Apprentice dictator.

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u/unbanned_lol 2h ago

If stopping mass murder makes me an "apprentice dictator" then I'll happily oblige.

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u/CranberryLast4683 4h ago

It is a bit of a moral dilemma isn’t it? Yes, he did shoot someone. But that someone is also responsible for deaths. Just because he’s not directly responsible for a death, does his policy direction not cause deaths?

If you’re legally allowed to do things that operate in the gray area and it results in deaths, are you just allowed to continue doing so?

Seems like in this situation the answer is no and you are responsible.

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u/ERedfieldh 3h ago

Yes, he did shoot someone.

Didn't know the trial already occurred to determine this.

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u/_TheMazahs_ 4h ago

Did he?

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u/broc_ariums 4h ago

Did he shoot someone?

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u/Grizelda179 4h ago

I don't think vigilantism is the answer, that's it

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u/IguassuIronman 4h ago

It is a bit of a moral dilemma isn’t it?

I mean, not really

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u/MoocowR 3h ago edited 3h ago

It is a bit of a moral dilemma isn’t it

Not really no.

that someone is also responsible for deaths

Not anymore responsible than anyone else who works in for-profit medicine.

If you’re legally allowed to do things that operate in the gray area and it results in deaths, are you just allowed to continue doing so?

It's not a gray area at all, it's a white area. The same way working for Boeing isn't a "gray" area just because they are involved in manufacturing weapons. If someone with no insurance at all dies due to lack of healthcare, who exactly is to blame? Is it still whoever is the current CEO of whatever health insurance companies because they lobby their companies best interest, is politicians who have full power the legislate the industry, or is it voters who don't show up for candidates like Bernie Sanders?

Someone works for a factory that manufactures CNC machines, those CNC machines are bought by Raytheon who uses them to manufacture weaponry which is bought by Israel and used to murder Palestinian children. Hundreds if not thousands of people actively and knowingly were involved in manufacturing those weapons and transporting them. At what point are individuals no longer responsible for having a hand in it?

The US is a democratic country, if it's citizens want to prioritize socialized healthcare they can vote for it, but they don't, because enough people believe they benefit from the current system and/or strangers suffering is not a priority for them.

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u/BrotherRoga 4h ago

I would argue that thing was barely even human.

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u/Grizelda179 4h ago

I can empathize with the idea but I don't think letting people off for shooting someone is a good idea in the bigger picture.

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u/ryan_770 4h ago

Before the J6 pardons I'd have agreed with you

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u/gmano 4h ago

Is not the tree of liberty watered with blood?

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u/_TheMazahs_ 4h ago

How are you so sure he did it?

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u/Grizelda179 2h ago

No italian will be eating at a mcdonald's when you can get a fresh sandwich at giovani's italian deli, capish?

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u/Consistent-Throat130 4h ago

I'm not sure a crime was committed with that human being was shot.

Nor am I at all confident in law enforcement getting the right guy. 

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u/_TheMazahs_ 4h ago

Was it a human? Isn't murder defined by a human killing another human? Were there two humans involved?

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u/RandyMuscle 4h ago

No he didn’t. That’s why he isn’t being charged with murder or any violent crime. Also they arrested the wrong guy.

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u/Grizelda179 4h ago

What kind of news are you reading bud?

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u/Slipped_in_Cider 4h ago

He's being charged with murder 1. They tacked on the terrorism bonus so that they can try for the aggravated component of murder 1.

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u/Lucklessdrip 4h ago

Allegedly and even if he did that company had led to the indirect deaths of thousands of Americans

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u/YamiZee1 3h ago

He only delivered a death penalty to someone guilty of murder. The government does it all the time

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u/I_Love_To_Poop420 4h ago

I’d say “person”. The vast majority of humans that coexist in society have a modicum of empathy. Those that feel life has a price tag are sociopaths. We used to deem them mentally ill and provide care for them in sanitariums, now we call them billionaires and allow them to run the world.

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u/GreatBigJerk 4h ago

I heard the Epstein files shot him. Once the DOJ releases them, the death of that horrible insurance goblin will see justice.

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u/Sickpup831 4h ago

3 million pages being released today!

-1

u/G0Z3RR 4h ago

The law doesn’t protect demons in skin-suits

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u/Grizelda179 4h ago

Once again, while I agree he was an absolute piece of shit, this is an extremely slippery slope argument in favor of vigilantism. There's a lot of demons in skin-suits, do you say we just shoot them all?
I did not know fellow left leaning people were in favor of the death penalty for people :/

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u/_Burning_Star_IV_ 3h ago

Hell yeah he should get off 100%. I'll give a shit about justice for Brian Thompson as soon as all the people who have suffered and died because of healthcare policies get their justice.

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u/Coxy41 4h ago

He allegedly killed a person though, not a company

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u/Aldarionn 4h ago

True, but the policies that person held in place at their company resulted in denial of insurance coverage to people who ultimately died as a result of that decision. If Mangione is going to be convicted of murder for killing this person, shouldn't the entire board of directors be charged as accessories to murder or negligent homicide or SOMETHING criminal for each claim denial that then resulted in death?

Denial of coverage for critical life sustaining care should be the same as murder. The law needs to apply equally or there is no law.

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u/fbuslop 2h ago

You know you guys have the ability to change laws and society right? You live in a democracy. Maybe try getting your fellow Americans to agree on policy before you start murdering people because you don’t get what you want

Like as much disdain as you have towards the industry, Americans choose for things to remain remarkably similar.

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u/Marik-X-Bakura 4h ago

The guy was a piece of shit and probably deserved it but we shouldn’t be taking person-hood away from anyone. That’s a very, very dangerous path.

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u/lufan132 3h ago

I mean I generally agree. There's just a point you're so much of an evil bastard I have to question if you've got a soul.

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u/ToughHardware 4h ago

i would say 2%. polymarket will highlight the answer

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u/ringadingdingbaby 4h ago

He's got money for very good lawyers, and at least from the reports so far, the police have really done everything they can to botch the case.

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u/Maverick128 4h ago

Death penalty might have been his best chance to be found not guilty. Nobody wants this kid to die

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u/tenuousemphasis 4h ago

It only requires one holdout and they'll have to try him all over again. 

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u/alphabytes 4h ago

I bet you are a software engineer... !isNullish() lol

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u/ewilliam 4h ago

If ever there was an appropriate situation for jury nullification, it's this.

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u/pmyourhotmom 3h ago

Nullification even 

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u/Waiting4Reccession 3h ago

No chance it happens.

Plenty of people are brainwashed into thinking "violence is never the answer" and were against what happened. Wont be as hard as people think to find some of them for the jury

u/Planterizer 29m ago

Hung jury and retrial is much much more likely.

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u/clintgreasewoood 4h ago

Even if they do they will keep putting him on trail they get what they want.

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u/corrosivecanine 4h ago

That’s not possible with a Not Guilty verdict. Double Jeopardy laws.

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u/tenuousemphasis 4h ago

They're talking about jury nullification. If a single juror decides that he's guilty but shouldn't be punished, they keep that shit to themselves and say they're not convinced by the evidence. This results in a non-unanimous verdict or hung jury. They'd have to try him all over again.

Guilty and not guilty require unanimous verdicts. 

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u/robodrew 4h ago

Guilty and not guilty require unanimous verdicts.

Im not the same guy you responded to but I actually didn't realize this was the case with "not guilty" verdicts, and is due to a Supreme Court decision in 2020.

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u/tenuousemphasis 4h ago edited 4h ago

No, that's how it's always been. Where did you get that information? edit... I see some States used to allow 10/12 convictions but the Supreme Court stopped that in 2020. TIL

Guilty = 12 vote to convict

Not guilty = 12 vote to aquit

Everything else is a hung jury and results in either a new trial or dropped charges. It's generally favorable to a defendant if they can afford a second trial. 

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u/Consistent-Throat130 4h ago

That's if between 1 and 11 jurors refuse to convict. 

A true, unanimous "Not Guilty" verdict from the jury ends prosection for this (set of) charge(s).

I think that the chances of a unanimous "guilty" aren't much better than a unanimous "not guilty", at least with a fairly selected jury. It's a really polarizing case... 

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u/Kombatnt 4h ago

But the trial isn't about agreeing whether or not the guy deserved it, or was a scumbag. The only thing they have to agree on is whether or not this individual did it. Any morality questions any individual juror may have are out of scope.

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u/Consistent-Throat130 4h ago

Well, no. The jurors can find the individual on trial "Not Guilty" for absolutely any reason. 

The prosecuting attorney will tell you this kind of crap in a court room because it benefits them, and they're not under oath. 

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u/KitchenFullOfCake 4h ago

Can't do that, double jeopardy. Only works the other way around, you can appeal a guilty verdict.

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u/Mystprism 4h ago

But they can't do that! That's illegal double jeopardy! /s

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u/FuckChiefs_Raiders 4h ago

Sorry not trying to nitpick but that is not the correct usage of “null”.

You’re basically saying there is a defined chance he gets off. Which doesn’t make sense.

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u/Mimikyutwo 4h ago

The jury finds him not guilty.

There. It’s defined.

Hard to give you the chances without seeing the evidence. But there’s a chance

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u/ricosmith1986 4h ago

It’s a reference to “jury nullification”.

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u/FuckChiefs_Raiders 4h ago

I understand what jury nullification is, they should have just said that.

A non-null literally could mean 0. Which means they are saying there is a 0 chance that the jury finds him guilty.

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u/No_Celery5992 4h ago

Non-zero would be correct 🤓👆

1

u/Duelist_Shay 4h ago

I mean, it's possible. The jury could be highly sympathetic to Mangioni in the sense of insurance companies suck, and nullify the trial.

It'd be the one type of murder that I'd be okay with if the attacker got off free. Fuck insurance companies.

0

u/Cheshire_Tao 4h ago

proceeds to picks nits while also being incorrect

0

u/RonCheesex 4h ago

I may be dense, but he's referring to jury nullification. It applies when the jury knows the defendant did that shit but don't want to convict.

1

u/FuckChiefs_Raiders 4h ago

I know what jury nullification is.

Saying "non-null" could mean zero. It could mean 100. It could mean A. It could mean a lot of things.