Judge in Mangione case rules backpack search at McDonald's was unlawful, disallows cell phone, passport, wallet, bullet magazine, and more from evidence

Is it just me, or does it feel like we're setting up to let this guy go free?

The latest update in the Luigi Mangione case is a pretty discouraging one. Officers apparently did not follow protocol when they searched Luigi's backpack at the McDonald's where he was arrested. So nothing from the backpack can be admitted as evidence.

The gun itself is still catalogued as evidence, but everything else in the bag has to be tossed because they looked through it while it was on a table just out of Mangione's reach. Apparently the fact that they had probable cause to believe he matched the profile of an assassin during a nationwide manhunt was not sufficient enough justification for a basic search.

This, as pointed out in the Fox report, does not align with the federal court's ruling that everything in the backpack was admissible as evidence.

Luigi's defense council and fans see this as a loss, however, since they want all the evidence thrown out.

Again, this is the state trial in New York.

The feds seem to have a much stronger case against Luigi, and appear much more interested in putting him behind bars.