Mangione's State Murder Trial Postponed Indefinitely

Mangione's lawyers called him a "pawn in parallel prosecutions" and accused state and federal prosecutors of "trying to punish him twice for the exact conduct," the AP reported.

"The full range of conduct that comprises the stalking offense is coterminous with the conduct committed as part of the murder offense," the defense wrote in its filing. That Mangione traveled from out of state "to be at the crime scene at the time of the shooting does nothing to eliminate the stalking of Mr. Thompson from the acts constituting his murder," they added. "They are all part of the same criminal incident or criminal transaction."

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office said it would fight efforts to end the state case, in part because Mangione's federal sentence isn't yet known. Bragg's office contends the state charges — murder and firearms offenses — involve different legal elements and different criminal conduct.

In a letter last month, Assistant District Attorney Joel Seidemann objected to the prospect of a federal guilty plea wiping out the state case. Any plea, he wrote, "must account for the seriousness of defendant's offenses" and for the state's interests in prosecuting Mangione, "including the sanctity of life principle that underpins the state homicide charges."

Mangione's defense lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment, Reuters reported. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to the state charges.