Two of New York City's most high-profile criminal defendants share one notable connection: Their lawyers are married to each other.
Karen Friedman Agnifilo, who was hired on Saturday to represent Luigi Mangione, accused of murdering CEO Brian Thompson, is married to Marc Agnifilo, who is defending Sean "Diddy" Combs in his federal sex trafficking and racketeering case.
Friedman Agnifilo, a former top prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorney's office, left her position in December 2020. She recently joined her husband's law firm, Agnifilo Intrater, earlier this month, according to her LinkedIn profile.
The firm is already handling heavy caseloads. Marc Agnifilo and his team have been preparing Combs' defense while unsuccessfully attempting to secure his release on bail.
The Agnifilos have been well-established figures in the New York legal scene for over a decade. During her time in the DA's office, Friedman Agnifilo earned a reputation for her work on high-profile cases involving homicide, sex crimes, and more. The couple notably found themselves on opposing sides of the sexual assault case involving IMF director Dominique Strauss-Kahn in 2011, with Friedman Agnifilo recusing herself from the case.
"It’s never been awkward," Marc Agnifilo told *The New York Times* at the time. "We’re pretty regimented about it. If she’s recused from a case, we really don’t talk about it."
This time, however, there will be no such restrictions. Both Agnifilos are representing clients in criminal cases, though the cases will be tried in separate courts. Combs faces federal charges related to sex trafficking, while Mangione is charged in state court with second-degree murder.
Before hiring Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Mangione was represented by Altoona, PA-based attorney Thomas Dickey, who indicated last week that Mangione would plead not guilty. "I have not seen one scintilla, one speck, one drop of any evidence yet," Dickey said.
Karen Friedman Agnifilo, who was hired on Saturday to represent Luigi Mangione, accused of murdering CEO Brian Thompson, is married to Marc Agnifilo, who is defending Sean "Diddy" Combs in his federal sex trafficking and racketeering case.
Friedman Agnifilo, a former top prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorney's office, left her position in December 2020. She recently joined her husband's law firm, Agnifilo Intrater, earlier this month, according to her LinkedIn profile.
The firm is already handling heavy caseloads. Marc Agnifilo and his team have been preparing Combs' defense while unsuccessfully attempting to secure his release on bail.
The Agnifilos have been well-established figures in the New York legal scene for over a decade. During her time in the DA's office, Friedman Agnifilo earned a reputation for her work on high-profile cases involving homicide, sex crimes, and more. The couple notably found themselves on opposing sides of the sexual assault case involving IMF director Dominique Strauss-Kahn in 2011, with Friedman Agnifilo recusing herself from the case.
"It’s never been awkward," Marc Agnifilo told *The New York Times* at the time. "We’re pretty regimented about it. If she’s recused from a case, we really don’t talk about it."
This time, however, there will be no such restrictions. Both Agnifilos are representing clients in criminal cases, though the cases will be tried in separate courts. Combs faces federal charges related to sex trafficking, while Mangione is charged in state court with second-degree murder.
Before hiring Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Mangione was represented by Altoona, PA-based attorney Thomas Dickey, who indicated last week that Mangione would plead not guilty. "I have not seen one scintilla, one speck, one drop of any evidence yet," Dickey said.
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