Luigi Mangione‘s lawyer Thomas Dickey on Tuesday said his client would plead not guilty — and ask for bail — in the gunshot-slaying of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, declaring he and Mangione had formed “a strong bond.”
Speaking at his law office in Altoona, Penn. in a 17-minute press conference, Dickey reiterated the presumption of innocence is the “fundamental concept of American justice,” and that he had not seen any evidence his 26-year-old client was the shooter.
“The burden is always on the government, thank God,” said Dickey on a televised livestream of the press conference. “I have not seen one scintilla, one speck, one drop of any evidence yet.”
The lawyer said since all charges in Pennsylvania — aside from capital charges — allow bail, he’d be seeking just that for Mangione.
“The judge could set a million dollar bail, it could be a $5 million bail, but damn it, you get bail,” he said.
Dickey said his client’s next court appearance would be later in December, but that he could speak with his client as early as Wednesday.
Pressed on what offense Mangione would be declaring his innocence, Dickey asserted: “Every charge, every charge.”
“The only charges that we’ve seen thus far have been here in Pennsylvania and we have pled not guilty to those charges,” said Dickey. “I’m not aware of any actual charges in New York.”
The lawyer said earlier Tuesday he had complained in court that he’d been given very little information.
Dickey said he would continue to fight extradition to New York, adding it would be a lengthy process and that he and Mangione would approach it methodically.
The lawyer deflected questions about Mangione’s demeanor, personality or frame of mind — and flat-out refused to say who had hired him, though he said he’d be open to representing the accused gunman in court in New York.
