Federal Plea Deal Could Block Mangione's State Trial

Mangione's defense and federal prosecutors meet August 14 amid reported plea discussions. If he pleads guilty federally, his lawyers could invoke double jeopardy — the principle that someone cannot be tried twice for the same offense — reinforced by New York's state constitution, to challenge the separate state trial set for September 8. Former prosecutor Mitchell Epner confirms the state cannot retry on identical facts. No deal is guaranteed.