Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, is set to appear in New York state court on December 1 for a significant pretrial hearing. Mangione, 27, has pleaded not guilty to nine state charges and four federal charges, which could include the death penalty. The hearing is expected to last at least one week.

Marc Agnifilo, one of Mangione's attorneys, indicated that prosecutors may call up to 28 potential witnesses during the proceedings. These witnesses include individuals from Altoona, Pennsylvania, where Mangione was arrested at a McDonald's shortly after the shooting in Manhattan.

The hearing will be divided into two parts, focusing on whether any evidence or statements were obtained illegally, which could lead to their exclusion from the trial. Judge Gregory Carro previously dismissed charges of first-degree murder as an act of terrorism and second-degree murder but retained the second-degree murder charge in September.

Mangione, an Ivy League graduate from a well-known Maryland real estate family, was apprehended after a McDonald's employee recognized him as the wanted suspect linked to the shooting. At the time of his arrest, authorities reported that he was found in possession of a ghost gun, masks, and a manifesto related to the incident.