EXCLUSIVE – A trio of judges say they understand everyday Americans’ frustration with the health care industry, but they are “disturbed” by the outpouring of support for the suspected UnitedHealthcare CEO murderer.
Luigi Mangione, 26, is accused of shooting and killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in midtown Manhattan on December 4. Prosecutors believe the murder was intended to send a message to the health care insurance industry based on a manifesto found on the suspect when he was arrested days later in Pennsylvania.
Despite the cold-blooded nature of his alleged crime, Mangione has found supporters all over the country because of the message in his manifesto and even his looks. Fan groups for the suspect have popped up on the internet, while “Saturday Night Live” received backlash when the audience erupted in cheers for Mangione during a live taping.
The three judges who star on “Tribunal Justice,” a show created by Judge Judith Sheindlin, AKA Judge Judy, were each appalled by the Mangione movement, while also empathizing with Americans who have legitimate complaints against the health care industry.
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“I was a little surprised by the outward support that he received online, something that we haven’t seen before,” Judge Adam Levy, son of Judge Judy and one-third of the panel of judges on “Tribunal Justice,” told Fox News Digital. “However, after giving it some more thought, I most certainly understand the frustration that people have with the health industry at-large, putting aside the people online that support him because they say he’s good-looking or what have you.”
Tanya Acker, who hosts “The Tanya Acker Show podcast,” was similarly unnerved by how Mangione had entered the pop culture psyche as a supposed hero.
“I’m really disturbed by how some folks have sort of made a hero of a murderer,” Acker told Fox Digital. “And look, there are plenty of complaints that people might raise about various insurance company practices. I have my own litany of complaints, but unless you are then going to sanction killing your boss, who only acquired a certain type of insurance, or killing politicians who have put certain policies in place, unless you’re going to go down that road, people just need to stop. This was a cold-blooded killing, and it should be treated as such.”
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Mangione’s social media support caught the eye of the NYPD commissioner too.
“Luigi Mangione is now formally charged and indicted for murder, and let me be perfectly clear, in the nearly two weeks since Mr. Thompson’s killing, we have seen a shocking and appalling celebration of cold-blooded murder,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters. “Social media has erupted with praise for this cowardly attack.”
Patricia DiMango, the third judge on “Tribunal Justice,” similarly weighed in. DiMango, a former New York State Supreme Court Justice, described Mangione as a strange enigma whose background did not suggest he’d one day turn into a cold-blooded killer.
“The masses were obsessed with Mangione,” she told Fox News Digital. “But I think in a very ironic way, and I think it’s got the fascination has kind of more to do with his message, and he being the messenger. Of course, there are a lot of unusual aspects to the case. First of all, he’s not run-of-the-mill, your typical murder suspect. He was a valedictorian. He went to an elite Maryland prep school. He went to Ivy League schools. He’s got two degrees. He’s got one in engineering. He’s got one in computer sciences. He’s good-looking. He was popular. He was an affluent member of society. He’s just not your poster child for what a criminal looks like. So I think that attracts people as well.”
“In my view, what I think kind of happened here is that it’s kind of just like this growing frustration between the ever-widening chasm of the haves and the have-nots, those who are the underdogs versus those who are entitled and privileged,” she continued.
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Levy said the system needs to change and public officials have to be held accountable for their conduct, just not to such an extreme extent.
“When a child or a sibling or a parent is denied coverage wrongfully, who ends up dying, you’ll take someone who is an ordinarily rational person and you turn them into an irrational person,” he said. “Decisions need to be made that start turning that system around.”
When season two premieres this month, the judges said viewers will see that they’ve worked out some kinks from season one.
“I think what’s really great about our show, and particularly the second season of the show, is that as people become more familiar with us and get to know us better, we just get more interesting cases and a variety of cases,” Acker said. “I think this year is going to really be pleasant for viewers, the depth of the cases sort of allows for a bit more intrigue.”
“The cases still range from your small claims court case, your dog bite, your landlord-tenant,” DiMango explained. “But we have some serious matters as well, involving some domestic abuse situations. And they have resulted in some very good deliberations.”
She added that cameras are now “everywhere” in society and inevitably provide more dramatic videos from litigants and a more engaging experience for the audience.
The second season of “Tribunal Justice” debuts on Prime Video on Monday, January 27. New episodes stream weekdays.
Fox News Digital’s Audrey Conkilin contributed to this report.
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