On Monday, Daniel Penny was acquitted by a Manhattan jury of criminally negligent homicide — a monumental victory not only for Penny but for justice itself. While the verdict delivered the right result, legal experts from across the political spectrum concurred that Penny should never have been charged in the first place in connection with the death of Jordan Neely. The fact that such charges were brought in the first place calls for serious consequences, and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg must face accountability for that.
The District Attorney’s office focused on one thing and one thing only: a white man subduing a black man who later died. They ignored the fact that Neely was on drugs and threatening passengers on the subway or that many witnesses praised Penny for stepping in, believing that his actions may have saved lives. After the jury deadlocked on the manslaughter charge, the prosecution requested to drop it, likely hoping for a conviction on the lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide. Fortunately, the jury ultimately acquitted Penny of that charge as well.
Related: BREAKING: Daniel Penny Not Guilty
But Penny’s acquittal doesn’t mean…
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