Mangioneâs presiding judge has ordered prosecutors to respond to a letter from Luigi Mangioneâs legal team alleging that Trump administration officialsâ recent social media posts about the case appear to have violated his right to a fair trial.
https://truthout.org/articles/doj-appears-to-have-violated-luigi-mangiones-right-to-a-fair-trial-judge-says/
âIt appears ⊠that multiple employees at the Department of Justice may have violated Local Criminal Rule 23.1, and this Courtâs order of April 25, 2025 specifically identifying the strictures of this rule,â U.S. District Judge Margaret M. Garnett wrote in her order on September 24 in response to the letter.
The rule stipulates that ânon-lawyer personnel employed by a lawyerâs office or subject to a lawyerâs supervisionâ in a criminal case have a duty not to release an âopinion that a reasonable person would expect to be disseminated by means of public communicationâ if there is a chance that the opinion will âinterfere with a fair trial or otherwise prejudice the due administration of justice.â
This includes any opinion as to the guilt or innocence of the accused, Garnett pointed out.
âThe statements referenced in the [letter from Mangioneâs legal team] by two high-ranking staff members of the Department of Justice, including within the Office of the Attorney General, appear to be in direct violation of this Rule and the Courtâs April 25 Order,â the judge continued.