Exciting News!

I’ll be covering the continuing Luigi Mangione trial(s) for House Inhabit.

I know that many of my new readers and subscribers who have started following since I began covering the Luigi Mangione have been wondering about why there has been a pause in publishing certain Mangione-related pieces that I’ve been working on for some time. I’m not one to put the horse before the cart, so I kept this exciting development to myself until it was the right time. Now, I am very happy to share that I’ll be working with Jessica Reed Kraus of House Inhabit to provide commentary and legal analysis for the unprecedented criminal prosecution of Luigi Mangione, who is simultaneously being prosecuted in two state courts and one federal court.

You can read my introductory piece for Jessica’s audience here:

Murder at Midtown: The Trial of Luigi Mangione // An Intro

What I love so much about this opportunity, is that Jessica has been incredibly supportive of my creative freedom to cover this story from my own unique perspective on my personal Substack, which as I’ve said before is as a cross between a lawyer and Luigi’s defensive cousin—his unofficial My Cousin Vinny, if you will. At the same time, I’ll be able to share the saga with a larger audience, who is also very interested in the cultural and political implications of this case.

I’m aware that some people may feel strongly one way or another about House Inhabit for political reasons, but a huge part of the reason I’m so thrilled for this opportunity is the chance to write for such a diverse audience of liberals, conservatives, and independents. We are all Americans, and this case has put a huge spotlight on many of the fissures of modern American society. As my husband recently noted, nothing tells you more quickly what socioeconomic class someone belongs to than getting their opinion on Luigi Mangione.

As I laid out in the introductory article for House Inhabit linked above, when I speak to people about this case, the discussion quickly becomes emotional, even for legal professionals. For people who have watched a loved one die in agony, without a penny left to their name due to healthcare insurance companies denying coverage, it’s not about Luigi’s guilt or innocence—it’s about what Brian Thompson deserved for the net harm that he caused during his tenure as UnitedHealthcare’s CEO.

There are two prevailing perspectives on this: either he had the blood of countless people on his hands, for which he deserved to be held accountable for; or he was just a CEO performing his fiduciary duties to the company & its shareholders, to whom he was obligated to maximize profits, who did not deserve to be gunned down in the street.

Which of those two perspectives someone holds is most likely to align with whether they see themselves (or the human beings they love) as more likely to be in Brian Thompson’s shoes, or in the shoes of someone unable to get approved for life-saving medical care for insurance reasons. The debate over the American healthcare system has never been at such a boiling point, and I’ve never seen a high-profile murder case split so cleanly down class lines.

In the upcoming months leading up to the trial, I’ll be continuing to write exclusive pieces for my own subscribers, while tailoring articles and pieces for House Inhabit’s audience. In my view, I welcome anyone capable of free thought who is interested in this incredibly compelling story, for the important implications it has for American culture and jurisprudence. Jessica and I both hope that the crossover from our audiences, along with the (hopefully) civil discourse that results, can contribute in some small way to healing the mutual mistrust from each side of the aisle that defines so much of the current moment.

If you feel so inclined to support my writing (as a reminder, I’m a practicing attorney that does not write as my full time career), you can become a paid subscriber for only $4/month using the link below for The Luigi Special. It’s enough to get me a cup of coffee while I’m burning the midnight oil, so thank you to all current & future subscribers!

Stay tuned for my full analysis of the Luigi Mangione Legal Fund (including written responses to questions from Sam Beard), as well as the gradual publishing of more of my non-Luigi related essays, recipes, and book chapters here.