Amid much glorification of Luigi Mangione, the 27-year-old accused in UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s death, a judge consulting professional said Mangione’s good looks may really have an impact on the jury share in his test. Dr David Barnard, director of judge consulting at a company, told Newsweek this is more than “getting apart with a death” because of a lovely face. It’s a well-established trend called the “attractive-defendant influence”, Barnard said. Jurors are likely to connect one’s presence with traits like integrity, stability and morality, he said.
” As a judge consultant, I’ve observed the’ attractive-defendant result’ in motion”, Barnard said. This finding has been well-documented in scientific research, which shows that typically attractive defendants frequently receive better treatment and outcomes in court cases than their less attractive counterparts.
Luigi Mangione has already been hailed as a warrior thanks to the product that was sold forward of Christmas, and he is also being depicted as a better Jesus. As a result, money is being poured into his legal protection as he is currently facing a federal crime command that qualifies him for the death penalty.
” This bias can result in increased sympathy or leniency for the defendant, sometimes overriding the evidence presented”, Barnard said. ” For example, jurors who believe Mangione committed the crime might still be inclined to find him guilty of a lesser charge if such an option exists, particularly if factors, such as mental illness, are introduced”.
” In a case as high-profile as this, where Mangione has received significant attention online for his looks, jurors may bring those discussions into the courtroom—consciously or not”, Barnard said. ” When a defendant’s appearance becomes a focal point, it can overshadow the facts of the case and skew perceptions of their character and credibility”.
Luigi Mangione is reportedly the front-runner on my campus.
Luigi Mangione’s background, his wealthy family, his Ivy League education– everything is playing a role in shaping the public’s mood. Maximillian Meyer, a sophomore at Princeton University, has written for New York Post that his campus is siding with Mangione.
” Of course, leftist college students — particularly Ivy Leaguers — have for generations fancied themselves revolutionaries. However, this outright glorification of violence represents a significant escalation. And I think I understand why. To far-left young Americans, on any given issue, the world is divided into two buckets: oppressor and oppressed. There is little room for nuance, and next to none for negotiation”, Meyer wrote.
Investigations revealed that Mangione was not even a customer of the health insurance company, and that UHC and Brian Thompson, who were both involved in the investigation, had no personal animosity toward him or any of his employees.
