Luigi Mangione will not face the death penalty for his alleged killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, dealing a significant blow to the DOJ’s capital case.

The alleged shooter’s lawyer, who previously accused AG Pam Bondi of a conflict of interest in the case, branded the ruling a relief while emphasizing that they intend to fight all the charges.

Luigi Mangione’s evasion of the death penalty has since sparked heated debate online; however, he still faces a possible life sentence without parole.

A federal judge ruled Friday that Mangione will not face the death penalty in the alleged killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, dealing an embarrassing blow to the Department of Justice.

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According to the New York Post, U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett dismissed the federal murder and weapons charges against the 27-year-old, ruling that they had “legal infirmities” under federal law.

Judge Garnett noted in her ruling that the “chief practical effect” of dismissing that portion of the indictment is “solely to preclude the death penalty as an available punishment when the jury determines if the Defendant caused Brian Thompson’s death.”

While the ruling is a setback for Attorney General Pam Bondi and the DOJ, Mangione still faces the prospect of life in prison without parole if found guilty of the alleged crime. Jury selection in the federal murder trial of Luigi Mangione is scheduled to begin on September 8, 2026, according to Judge Garnett.

Following the surprising ruling, one of Mangione’s lawyers, Karen Agnifilo, thanked the court, stating that it was an “incredible decision.”

“We’re all very relieved,” she said per NPR. “We’re prepared and have been prepared to fight this case, and we look forward to fighting this case.”

However, while Mangione’s legal team is excited, his evasion of the death penalty has led to varied reactions on social media.

Independent journalist Adam Cochran shared a lengthy post on X, accusing the DOJ of “botching” the case by trying to find any means to pin the death penalty on Mangione.

He noted, “This is WILD. A HUGE f-ck-up in the Trump DoJ strategy means Luigi will: Not face the death penalty. Technically NOT even face a formal ‘murder’ charge AT ALL?! All because Pam Bondi cared more about political theatrics than the law.”

A top MAGA supporter also called out the DOJ, writing on X, “The DOJ needs to fix this through appeal or new charges. Luigi Mangione committed a premeditated, political assassination, murder in cold blood.”

Amid the criticisms, some saw the ruling as the right thing, with a person commenting, “Luigi Mangione is awful, but the death penalty is also awful, and I don’t like charging ordinary state law crimes as federal charges to get around states that oppose capital punishment. So I am glad the death penalty was thrown out.”

The case has been of major interest for the Trump administration, which advocated for capital punishment for the “cold-blooded assassination” of the CEO.

After her appointment as Attorney General, Pam Bondi had personally directed prosecutors to seek the death penalty, marking what could have led to the first such effort of the current administration.

Her statement read at the time, “Luigi Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson — an innocent man and father of two young children — was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.”

It continued, “After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again.”

Following Bondi’s directive, Mangione’s lawyers argued it should be thrown out, claiming Bondi has a fundamental conflict of interest in the case because of her ties with UnitedHealthcare.

In court documents obtained by TMZ, they claimed she was once a partner at American lobbying firm Ballard Partners, which lists UnitedHealth Group (UHG) as a client.

The defense, led by Karen Agnifilo and Marc Agnifilo, further added that Bondi continues to receive personal and financial benefits “in the form of a profit-sharing plan from Ballard’s professional association with UHG.”

Mangione’s lawyers then argued that she should have recused herself from the case and questioned why one of her first moves following her announcement as attorney general was to pursue a death penalty for their client for allegedly killing the CEO of her former client.

They claimed it violates Mangione’s due process rights and moved for the death penalty to be abolished.

In September, Mangione’s lawyers also alleged that Bondi’s death penalty directive was “based on politics,” hence, should be tossed off the table.

In a 114-page filing at the time, they claimed prosecutors were more interested in putting on a “Marvel movie”-esque show than getting justice, saying the whole thing was staged for the “political needs of federal and local officials and not for public safety.”

“In a show of force befitting a captured cartel chief or comic book villain, Mr. Mangione, at the time a 26-year-old who had never been in trouble with the law, was ‘perp walked’ before scores of television cameras and press reporters, surrounded by armed law enforcement officials in tactical SWAT gear and raid jackets,” his lawyers said, per the New York Post.

According to the news outlet, they also explained that parading the suspect in front of news cameras and TVs after his capture with multiple ranking enforcement officials present, poisoned the potential jury pool.