"A reminder: the U.S. has the #1 most expensive healthcare system in the world, yet we rank roughly #42 in life expectancy," the 26-year-old accused of assassinating a health insurance CEO reportedly wrote.
I mean, if he doesn’t say it’s his manifesto, we need to be skeptical. Since he is claiming he is not guilty right now, we have to assume this is something weird.
The PA may want a deal for a quick trial. The publicity of a long and drawn out trial won't look good for all the rich, corrupt, assholes in power. They'll want it to be over quickly and get Luigi shoved out of the lime light. Also, especially without a plea there is a very real chance that one of the jurors could vote "not guilty", which would shine a huge spotlight on the fact that jurors can simply vote "not guilty" if they support whatever a defendant has done and they'd get off completely free, which again, the rich and powerful would dreadfully hate.
So I could see a lot of reasons that a prosecutor would strike a very good plea bargain with Luigi. The risk of an acquittal or long trial that could fuel copycat killings or a huge power shift in the US seems pretty realistic.
Plea bargaining has become the primary way to resolve criminal cases in the United States, with nearly 98% of convictions nationwide currently coming from guilty pleas.
I wouldn't take a "not guilty" plea as evidence of much.
Pleading "not guilty" is the only way to get in front of a jury, which is probably the best chance he has at this point — both in terms of staying out of jail and in terms of boosting his message.
A trial will inevitably become a media circus, and a media circus is great if your goal is bringing attention to your particular ideology.