Today, Attorney General Pamela Bondi released the following statement:
“Luigi Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson — an innocent man and father of two young children — was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America. After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again.”
On the one hand, murder for the purpose of terrorism is more serious than ordinary murder, but on the other hand I think they might be overreaching given that people on the jury are more likely to be sympathetic to the defendant than they would be to an ordinary murderer. I suspect the feds are more interested in making a strong impression now than they are in the ultimate outcome of a case that will go on for years.
That’s true in state prosecutions, but the jury pool for federal cases is much more slanted towards the prosecution, and the judge has a lot more power (and is likely a Trump appointee).