By Hurubie Meko

Copyright

After Mr. Thompson’s killing, a manhunt stretched across states and Mr. Mangione’s arrest caught the rapt attention of the nation. His case galvanized anger at America’s largely private health care system, and his appearances in court have attracted hundreds of supporters, some lining the hallways and others protesting outside.

He has been inundated with correspondence in the federal jail in Brooklyn where he is being held, and his lawyers have created a website to provide information about his case. An online fund-raising page set up to benefit his legal defense listed donations totaling about $1.5 million as of Tuesday.

Mr. Mangione is facing prosecution in two states and in three courts. In addition to the Manhattan state charges, he is also charged in federal court, including an accusation for which prosecutors have said they plan to seek the death penalty. He also faces charges in Pennsylvania, where he was caught.

While some states define first-degree murder as a premeditated killing, New York requires an additional aggravating circumstance, one of which is terrorism. Others include torture and killing a witness or law officer.

Prosecutors had also charged Mr. Mangione with a second-degree murder in furtherance of terrorism, one of the counts that was dropped, and another count of second-degree murder. He faces weapons charges as well.

If Mr. Mangione had been convicted on the highest state charges, he would have faced a sentence of life in prison without parole.