[Karah Rucker]

DANIEL PENNY HAS BEEN FOUND NOT GUILTY BY A JURY – IN THE CHOKEHOLD DEATH OF JORDAN NEELY. 

AND THE ANALYSIS OF THE CASE BY PANELS IN THE MEDIA IS CAPTURING A DIVIDE OVER THE VERDICT.

THE POLITICS OF THE CASE IS EVIDENT IN THESE CONTRASTING HEADLINES –

LEFT-LEANING CNN – “WHY SOME MAGA ALLIES ARE CELEBRATING DANIEL PENNY’S ACQUITTAL”.

AND FOX NEWS – A RIGHT-LEANING MEDIA OUTLET – “LIBERALS RAGE AFTER DANIEL PENNY ACQUITTED.”

ON A CNN PANEL – THERE WERE NEW YORK ATTORNEYS AND MEDIA ANALYSTS FROM BOTH SIDES –

SOME WHO FELT PENNY SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONVICTED AND THOSE WHO FELT THE JURY GOT IT RIGHT IN THE ACQUITTAL.

“It’s not reasonable to kill somebody for yelling. He was yelling on the subway…all they knew is that he was yelling on the subway, 140 pounds wet, he was unarmed, there was no way he was going to kill somebody.”

“It doesn’t give you a free pass to kill someone because you hear someone is mentally ill.”

WHETHER THE JURY WAS RIGHT OR WRONG WASN’T THE ONLY POINT OF CONTENTION IN THE CASE.

ANOTHER ONE – IS WHETHER THERE WAS A RACE ELEMENT INVOLVED.

THAT DEBATE PLAYED OUT AMONG PANELISTS ACROSS THE MEDIA SPECTRUM –

WITH CONSERVATIVE AND MODERATE HOSTS BELIEVING RACE DID NOT PLAY A PART –

AND THOSE WITH MORE PROGRESSIVE LEANINGS BELIEVING IT DID.

“I’m gonna say the dreaded ‘r’ word, race plays a role in this.”

“Does it?”

“Yes. statistics say that when people kill people who are white, they get harsher sentences, especially if they are people of color.”

“Those that are racializing this or protesting, to me, do not represent in any way what occurred on that subway and this trial which sees no color.”

“The ultimate question is, why did the jury acquit daniel penny? Is it because they’re racist?”

“America is inherently biased.”

“So the jury is racist – don’t change the subject, is the jury racist?”

“Yes.”

ANOTHER TOPIC THAT KEPT COMING UP IN THE MEDIA’S DEBATE POST-TRIAL –

WAS WHETHER OR NOT DANIEL PENNY SHOULD BE SEEN AS A HERO –

WITH LARGELY CONSERVATIVE AND MODERATE HOSTS BELIEVING HE DESERVES THE TITLE – WHILE THOSE WITH OPPOSING POLITICAL VIEWS SAY PENNY DOES NOT.

“I want to know whether you think as congressman crane does that penny should get the congressional gold medal to recognize his heroism?”

“I think he ought to get the medal and i think we ought to build a statue of this guy in new york city.”

“This guy was convicted in the court of public opinion, despite being a hero, despite all of those on the subway calling him a hero, to larry’s point, he deserves a medal.”

“Can we just stop calling him a hero?”

“I can’t because i do find what he did heroic.”

WHILE THE CASE HAS BEEN POLITICIZED –

THE FAST FACTS ARE THIS.

IN MAY 2023 – DANIEL PENNY PUT JORDAN NEELY INTO A CHOKEHOLD ON A NEW YORK CITY SUBWAY.

WITNESSES SAY NEELY – A HOMELESS MAN – WAS ACTING ERRATICALLY AND MAKING THREATS TO OTHER PASSENGERS.

PENNY – A FORMER MARINE – RESTRAINED NEELY IN A CHOKEHOLD FOR ABOUT SIX MINUTES – AND HE LATER DIED.

THE PROSECUTION ARGUED THE CHOKEHOLD KILLED HIM – 

AND CHARGED PENNY WITH SECOND-DEGREE MANSLAUGHTER AND CRIMINALLY NEGLIGENT HOMICIDE.

PENNY CLAIMED SELF-DEFENSE – HIS LAWYERS SAYING HE WAS PROTECTING HIMSELF AND PASSENGERS FROM SOMEONE THEY DESCRIBE AS A MENTALLY ILL MAN MAKING ALARMING THREATS AND GESTURES –

HIS LEGAL TEAM SUGGESTED NEELY DIED BECAUSE OF A TOXIC COMBINATION OF DRUGS AND MENTAL ILLNESS.

THE MANSLAUGHTER CHARGE AGAINST NEELY WAS DISMISSED BY THE JUDGE LAST WEEK AFTER THE JURY COULDN’T COME TO A UNANIMOUS DECISION.

AND MONDAY THE JURY FOUND PENNY NOT GUILTY OF CRIMINALLY NEGLIGENT HOMICIDE.