Editing Was the money planted on Luigi Mangione? (section)

= Defense’s Response and Legal Filings =
Mangione’s '''legal representatives have approached the evidence cautiously'''. Key points from his defense team include:

* '''Immediate Reaction of PA Counsel:''' At the initial extradition hearing in Pennsylvania, '''defense attorney Thomas Dickey''' visibly tried to rein in Mangione when the topic of the $8,000 arose. As Mangione began protesting about the money, Dickey instructed him, ''“Don’t say a word,”'' in open court. This suggests the defense did not want their client making un-vetted claims on the record. Dickey did not himself assert that the cash was planted; rather, he focused on procedural rights (opposing immediate extradition and emphasizing Mangione’s presumption of innocence). At that stage, '''Dickey indicated he had limited information''' about the New York case and was not yet addressing specifics of the evidence.
* '''Statements by NY Counsel:''' Once extradited to New York, Mangione obtained new defense attorneys. '''Karen Friedman Agnifilo''', a former prosecutor now representing Mangione, has '''criticized how evidence was obtained''', though without explicitly endorsing the “planted cash” theory. In a Feb. 2025 Manhattan court hearing, Agnifilo argued there were ''“serious search and seizure issues”'' in Mangione’s Pennsylvania arrest (Luigi Mangione illegally searched during arrest in health insurance CEO killing, lawyer says | Reuters). She signaled the defense may seek to '''suppress some evidence''' as illegally obtained (Luigi Mangione illegally searched during arrest in health insurance CEO killing, lawyer says | Reuters). This could encompass the gun, documents, '''and the cash''', if the defense argues officers lacked proper cause or warrant for a thorough search. Agnifilo’s stance is that ''“there might be evidence that is suppressed in this case”'' due to potential constitutional violations during the arrest (Luigi Mangione illegally searched during arrest in health insurance CEO killing, lawyer says | Reuters). Notably, this line of argument questions the '''legality of the search''' – it is '''distinct from alleging that police planted evidence'''. It suggests the defense might fight to exclude the money (and other items) by saying the search was improper, '''rather than trying to prove police misconduct in fabricating evidence'''.
* '''Court Documents:''' '''Pennsylvania charging documents''' (the criminal complaint for Mangione’s arrest on firearms/forgery charges) list the items seized, which include the cash (  Mangione contests extradition | News, Sports, Jobs - Altoona Mirror). This establishes that, from the moment of arrest, the money was documented in official records as part of Mangione’s possessions. In New York, a separate complaint and an indictment were filed (state murder/terrorism charges, and later federal charges) (Luigi Mangione illegally searched during arrest in health insurance CEO killing, lawyer says | Reuters) (Luigi Mangione illegally searched during arrest in health insurance CEO killing, lawyer says | Reuters). The '''New York state indictment''' reportedly emphasizes the forensic evidence – e.g. the 3D-printed 9mm handgun tied to the crime and a notebook outlining motives (Luigi Mangione illegally searched during arrest in health insurance CEO killing, lawyer says | Reuters) – and '''does not heavily reference the cash'''. This implies that while the cash is part of the arrest inventory, it may not be pivotal to proving the murder charges in court. '''No defense motions specifically alleging “planted” evidence have been reported in court filings''' to date; the defense’s strategy appears to lean more on challenging evidence collection and highlighting Mangione’s presumption of innocence.