In a significant legal development, Luigi Mangione was acquitted recently by a New York judge on terrorism charges for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Judge Gregory Carro made the ruling on September 16 in the high-profile case, which gained national media coverage. Luigi Mangione still faces a charge of second-degree murder as well as eight counts of weapons offenses in state court, where he faces a possible sentence of 25 years to life in the event of being found guilty. The separate federal case, where he could be potentially sentenced to death, remains in place.According to CBS News, the written decision by Judge Carro found the terrorism count "legally insufficient." Prosecutors contended the actions of Luigi Mangione were to "violently broadcast a social and political message." The judge concluded the evidence of both counts was insufficient. "There was no evidence presented of a desire to terrorize the public, inspire widespread fear, engage in a broader campaign of violence, or to conspire with organized terrorist groups," Carro wrote. "Here, the crime -- the heinous, but targeted and discrete killing of one person -- is very different from the examples of terrorism set forth in the statute."Even without the terrorism charges, the primary part of the state's case continues to move forward. The Manhattan District Attorney’s office said it “will proceed on the remaining nine counts, including Murder in the Second Degree.”Luigi Mangione's defense has also argued that being tried in state court and federal court violates the Double Jeopardy Clause. Judge Carro rejected this as premature reasoning, citing precedent that two sovereigns cannot prosecute the same act. Luigi Mangione's remaining charges and motionsThere are additional pre-trial motions awaiting disposition. The defense seeks to suppress evidence discovered in Luigi Mangione’s backpack, including a firearm and a notebook, asserting the evidence was obtained without a search warrant. The defense also seeks to suppress statements made by Mangione to law enforcement, asserting that the Miranda rights were not provided to him. A hearing on these motions is scheduled for December 1, 2025. The decision to dismiss terrorism charges was greeted with applause from supporters who had gathered outside the Manhattan courthouse. Mangione, a 27-year-old Ivy League graduate, has built a cult like following among critics of the health insurance industry. According to CNN, his supporters, some of them dressed in green in homage to Luigi from the Mario Bros. video game, have attended his hearings and donated more than $1.2 million to his online legal defense fund. On December 4, 2024, Brian Thompson was shot and killed outside a hotel in Manhattan. Investigators found ammunition located on the scene inscribed with words including "delay" and "deny," which seemingly indicated insurance status practice. Days later, authorities arrested Mangione in Pennsylvania.Although the dismissal of the terrorism charges is a huge win for the defense, Luigi Mangione remains jailed and faces serious prison time in both the state and federal justice systems while the technicalities of the case continue to be resolved.