Who is Margaret Garnett? Manhattan judge rules out death penalty for Luigi Mangione

Judge Garnett stated that the murder charge is technically flawed. Jury selection in the federal case is scheduled to begin on September 8.

Margaret Garnett is a US District Judge for the Southern District of New York, where she has presided over high-profile federal cases since early 2024. She was nominated by former President Joe Biden in 2023 to the seat vacated by Judge Vincent Louis Briccetti.

Born in 1971, Garnett earned her BA from the University of Notre Dame (1992), M.A. and M.Phil. from Yale University (1995, 1997), and J.D. from Columbia Law School (2000). Her career spans private practice in New York City (2000–2004), a clerkship with Judge Gerard E. Lynch (S.D.N.Y., 2004–2005), and nearly a decade as an Assistant US Attorney in the Southern District of New York (2005–2017).