Daniel Penny, the 26-year-old Marine veteran who was accused of putting a schizophrenic homeless man, Jordan Neely, in a chokehold that led to his death on a subway car in 2023, has been found not guilty of the charge of criminally negligent homicide by a jury of his peers. For once, the justice system actually worked. I’m honestly a bit shocked that this happened in New York City, given how liberal it is. However, it seems we’re witnessing the beginning of a cultural shift in the area away from extreme leftism back to ward center-right principles and values, thanks in large part to the massive failures of the Biden-Harris administration.
Check out more details on these developments via The Daily Wire:
Penny, a 26-year-old Marine veteran, was found not guilty of killing Neely after the jury deliberated for nearly a week in a case that has drawn national attention. Jurors were originally tasked with determining whether Penny “recklessly” caused the death of Neely by using the chokehold – or second-degree manslaughter – or if he was guilty of criminally negligent homicide, a lesser charge that carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison. According to court documents, the lesser charge requires the jury to determine Penny failed to recognize Neely’s life was at risk as he held him in the chokehold.
On Friday, the jury indicated it was deadlocked over the manslaughter charge, The Daily Wire reported at the time. Judge Maxwell Wiley initially told the jury to return to deliberations and find a unanimous decision, but they again said they couldn’t. At that point, the judge and Assistant District Attorney Dafna Yoran discussed the possibility of dropping the manslaughter charge and allowing the jury to deliberate on the lesser charge in an effort to find a guilty verdict. When the Jury returned to work on Monday, it took them less than an hour to return a not guilty verdict for the lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide.
Those who attended the trial and were sitting on Penny’s side of the courtroom burst into a round of applause when the verdict was read while the side that supported the violent schizphrenic Neely once again became disruptive. Someone on that side of the room immediately pulled out the timeless strategy of referring to America as a racist country for deciding that a man protecting innocent people from potential acts of violence didn’t deserve to go to jail for doing his civic duty.
What really chaps my backside about this behavior from Neely supporters is that when he was in trouble and a danger to others, these folks were nowhere to be found. Nowhere. He was booted from his home and left to wander the streets. Now they suddenly care? Not buying it.
Jury entering!
Clerk: How do you find on Daniel Penny on Count 2?
Foreperson: Not guilty.
From Penny said, applause
Judge: Be quiet.
From Neely side: … gonna be killed..
Judge: Out.
From Nelly side: It's a small world, buddy.. It's a racist country!— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) December 9, 2024
As the judge, jury, and attorneys entered the courtroom on Monday, multiple protest groups demonstrated outside, including one chanting “guilty” as Penny himself entered the courtroom.
WOW: Protestors shout “Guilty, Guilty, Guilty” as Daniel Penny walks into the Courthouse.
We’ve all seen the videos—it’s clear Penny was a hero Good Samaritan, only trying to help.
The sacred American presumption of innocence has been made a mockery.pic.twitter.com/5v88qntRLx
— John Strand (@JohnStrandUSA) December 2, 2024
Penny's lawyer Kenniff: The chants are "Daniel Penny, subway strangler" and "If we don't get no justice, they don't get no peace," which we take as a threat against the jurors. The press conference outside the court on Friday said the same. Circuslike is not OK
— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) December 9, 2024
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“Crime has become a major issue in New York City following multiple high-profile attacks, including the murder of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson last Wednesday. Crime in the city even brought Democrat Mayor Eric Adams to publicly defend Penny, The Daily Wire previously reported,” the DW continued in its report.
“We’re now on the subway where we’re hearing someone talking about hurting people, killing people,” Adams went on to explain on Tuesday, making a reference to Neely’s threatening comments toward passengers. “You have someone [Penny] on that subway who was responding, doing what we should have done as a city.”
“Those passengers were afraid,” Adams continued.
The final witness called to the stand by the defense, Brian Kemef, works for the court clerk’s office. Kemef revealed in his testimony that there was an active arrest warrant out for Neely that was connected to an alleged assault dating from 2021. Neely also had a rap sheet with a number of other violent crimes on it, including other assaults on the subway. In other words, he was a dangerous guy.
Why are so many liberal types defending a man who was a danger to society and who threatened to harm innocent people? It doesn’t matter if he was mentally ill or not. Those on the subway car could not have known that. Penny saved lives. Period.
It’s great that he’s been found not guilty, but the truth is he should never have been charged from the start.