Luigi Mangione and his lawyer were seen wearing almost similar-colored outfit.
A fresh set of photos of 26-year-old Luigi Mangione was released as he appeared in a court in Manhattan where he pleaded not guilty to the 11-count indictment by the New York state government. He walked the court with his feet chained wearing a burgundy sweater over a white collared shirt, khakis and orange prison shoes.
Social media was quick to observe that his lawyer
Karen Friedman Agnifilo
was wearing a matching outfit like Mangione. It's not known whether it was just a coincidence or whether Agnifilo chose to wear a matching outfit in solidarity with his client as she issued some strong statements against the ongoing treatment of the case.
Agnifilo said she had never seen a perp walk as large as Mangione's in her entire career. She reiterated that her client Luigi Mangione is innocent until proven guilty but she's not sure whether Mangione would get a fair trial as government officials like New York mayor Eric Adams. Agnifilo pointed out that in his statement the mayor did not use the word 'alleged' once but called her client a murder. Luigi Mangione is a young man who has a right to defend, and he is not a human ping-pong ball or a political fodder, the lawyer said as Mangione was seated beside her focusing on what the lawyer was saying.
Why Luigi Mangione was seen smiling
In his appearance, Luigi Mangione was smug as his fans continued cheering for him outside the court. Inside the courtroom, there were at least two dozen women. No member of his family was present at the hearing.
“How do you plead to this indictment, sir? Guilty or not guilty,” asked a court clerk.
“Not guilty,” Mangione replied.
He was also seen grinning during a conversation with his lawyer indicating that there was not an iota of nervousness in him while he could face the death penalty. Agnifilo's husband Marc Agnifilo who is representing music mogul Diddy was also present inside the court.
Mangione will remain in the federal Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn even as the Southern District prosecutors said they’ll let local DAs get first crack at Mangione in the courtroom.