Luigi Mangione gets surprise court win to decide legality of using his backpack as evidence

A federal judge said on Monday that she will hold a hearing on the procedures used by Pennsylvania police to seize personal property at the time of Luigi Mangione’s arrest as the defense seeks to exclude key evidence.

The defense asked the court to bar prosecutors from using items found in a backpack seized during Mangione’s arrest, including a gun that police said matched the one used to kill UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson as well as a notebook. The defense alleged that the search was illegal because police had not yet obtained a warrant.