Luigi Mangione wants a laptop in jail so he can help prepare his defense for his trial for the broad daylight execution of the UnitedHealthcare CEO, his lawyers said.

But, prosecutors are objecting — citing threats that have already been made to witnesses in the extremely high profile case.

Mangione, 26, has asked for access to a restricted laptop, solely for viewing case evidence like videos, photos and 15,000 pages of records, according to court papers filed in his criminal Manhattan Supreme Court case for the murder of healthcare head Brian Thompson.

“Without a discovery laptop, Mr. Mangione cannot meaningfully assist in his own defense,” Mangione’s lawyer Karen Agnifilo wrote in court papers made public Monday.

Mangione would not have access to the internet and would not be able to use the laptop for games or entertainment while he’s locked up at Brooklyn’s beleaguered Metropolitan Detention Center, his lawyer said.

It is not uncommon for other inmates to be allowed to have access to restricted laptops as Mangione is requesting.

But, defense lawyers complain that prosecutors in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s Office are “inexplicably” opposing Mangione’s request for the computer. 

They told his legal team by email: “Given the sensitive nature of many of the documents and the threats that several witnesses have already received, we do not plan on consenting to a personal laptop at this time.”

The DA’s office “has no basis to believe that Mr. Mangione has any connection to the alleged witness threats,” Agnifilo wrote, noting that prosuectors hadn’t even disclosed the names of witnesses to the defense yet.

“Mr. Mangione had no part in disseminating their names,” the defense lawyer insisted.

Still, Agnifilo said the defense will agree to only load the laptop with “non-sensitive and non-civilian-related” evidence — with the sensitive information only being viewed by Mangione in the presence of his lawyers.

If Mangione is not ultimately allowed to use  a laptop, he won’t be able to review all the photos and videos in time for the current court schedule and the lawyers would have to print out 15,000 pages of records for him, Agnifilo’s filing said.

Agnifilo also accused the DA’s office of withholding critical evidence in the case that was due months ago — all while law enforcement has allegedly been leaked confidential information to the press.

All of this risks prejudicing potential jury members and could mean Mangione wouldn’t get a fair shake at trial, Agnifilo complained.

“Not only is there no connection to Mr. Mangione for any of said alleged threats, but all public statements about this case have come from law enforcement and the mayor of the City of New York, who have been leaking sensitive information and appearing in interviews on television, newspapers, and magazines, all prejudicing Mr. Mangione’s right ot a fair trial,” the filing alleges.

Mangione is charged in the New York state case with first-degree murder as an act of terrorism for allegedly gunning down Thompson on Dec. 4 outside of a Midtown Manhattan hotel.

He’s also charged in a federal case with stalking and murder and use of a silencer in a crime of violence. In a third state case in Pennsylvania, Mangione is fighting gun and false identification charges following a five-day manhunt to track him down after the shooting. He’s pleaded not guilty to all of the allegations.

Mangione received a master’s degree in computer science at the prestigious University of Pennsylvania in 2020. 

He has drawn a cult-following of supporters as many have become disenchanted with percieved corporate greed and the American healthcare system. A legal defense fund for Mangione has already raised nearly $760,000.

The DA’s declined to comment saying they would respond in court papers.