Luigi Mangione’s attorneys say they are withdrawing psychiatric defense | CNN

Luigi Mangione’s attorneys on Thursday informed the judge in his New York state murder case that they would withdraw their plan to argue at trial that he killed UnitedHealthcare’s chief executive while suffering an extreme emotional disturbance. The notice came in a court filing one day after a hearing in which Mangione’s attorneys had indicated they would argue a psychiatric defense. His lawyers could not immediately be reached for comment. The Manhattan District Attorney’s office declined to comment. At a hearing Wednesday, Judge Gregory Carro said he planned to unseal records related to an affirmative defense available to New York state criminal defendants charged with murder, in which the accused admits to the charged conduct but argues they should not be held fully criminally liable because he or she acted while experiencing a mental health episode. However, in light of the defense’s withdrawal, Carro said Thursday he would keep those records sealed. If a jury finds a defendant has proved by a preponderance of evidence he acted because of an extreme emotional disturbance, the crime is reduced from murder to manslaughter, which carries far less prison time. A psychiat