The development marks a blow to Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office. Last April, Bondi instructed prosecutors to seek the death penalty, calling Thompson’s killing “a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.”

“I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and make America safe again,” she said in a statement, describing Thompson as “an innocent man and father of two young children.”

On Friday, Garnett handed prosecutors a win, ruling that they may use evidence seized during a controversial search of Mangione’s backpack when he was initially arrested at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s five days after Thompson’s death. The gun Mangione allegedly used to shoot Thompson and a notebook musing about plans to “wack” the CEO were found during the search, according to prosecutors.

The defense team argued that the search was illegal, saying there was no immediate threat to justify a warrantless seizure.

Mangione’s lawyers have also accused federal and local officials of staging a “perp walk” when he was extradited from Pennsylvania to New York City, arguing that it undermined his right to due process and a fair trial. That concern, and allegations that Bondi and other authorities made “illegal and prejudicial statements” that “allowed the grand jury to be prejudiced,” formed part of the basis for the defense to file a motion last September challenging the constitutionality of the death penalty.

Prosecutors have argued that the death penalty is necessary due to allegations that Mangione meticulously planned the murder, making him an “exceptionally dangerous” individual who “hunted Thompson down.”

LUIGI MANGIONE’S LAWYERS SAY BONDI’S DEATH PENALTY DECISION WAS TAINTED BY CONFLICT OF INTEREST

“The defendant’s capacity for future dangerousness is … demonstrated by the careful steps he took to prepare for the attack and plan his escape,” they wrote in a court filing last August. “He traveled from another state under a false identity, secured lodging with a forged identification, surveilled Thompson in the days before the murder, wore a surgical mask for days on end, nearly without exception, to hide his identity, and armed himself with a homemade ghost gun.”

“These actions show not only the deliberate planning of this murder but also the defendant’s ability to deceive, to acquire lethal weapons through unlawful means, and to evade detection,” prosecutors added. “Those same characteristics make him exceptionally dangerous in the future.”