Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg has released a press statement reacting to Daniel Penny's acquittal in the death of Jordan Neely.
"As with every case, we followed the facts and the evidence found from the beginning to end," Bragg maintained.
New statement from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on Daniel Penny acquittal
— Dan Rivoli (@danrivoli) December 9, 2024
Jurors' lengthy deliberation underscored why this case was put in front of a jury of Mr. Penny’s peers, Bragg says
"The jury has now spoken." https://t.co/SAeSkAZjpm pic.twitter.com/NjxVdB0D1Y
After being deadlocked all day Friday, jurors reached Penny's not-guilty verdict within an hour of deliberations Monday morning on the remaining criminally negligent homicide charge. The prosecution decided to drop the top second-degree manslaughter charge Friday afternoon in a Hail Mary effort to salvage the crumbling case.
"Their lengthy deliberation — and the totality of the facts and evidence — underscored why this case was put in front of a jury of Mr. Penny's peers," Bragg insisted.
However, the Democrat district attorney acknowledged: "The jury has now spoken. At the Manhattan D.A.'s Office, we deeply respect the jury process and we respect their verdict."
Bragg then claimed that throughout the trial, his deputy DAs were "besieged with hate and threats" on social media, over the phone, and via email.
"Simply put, this is unacceptable, and everyone, no matter your opinion on this case, should condemn it," Bragg said. "These are prosecutors who have dedicated decades of their lives to public service and to the safety of Manhattan."
Meanwhile, the anti-Penny protests were audible from inside the courtroom, chanting "If we don't get no justice, they don't get no peace." The defense raised the issue of the audible chants, saying such could be seen as threats against the jury. In response, the prosecution claimed that "there are numerous threats from the other side going on constantly."
Judge Maxwell Wiley, who presided over the proceedings, agreed with the prosecution that there's been "shade thrown at the DA's office" and "particularly the ADA's handling of this case" "which I think is unfair."
The judge drew the line at anyone suggesting that Bragg was behind any of it. "Let's not even go there," he said.
Bragg was not in the courtroom when the verdict was read nor did he argue the case at trial. He directed his underlings to do most of the dirty work.
Assistant district attorney Jillian Shartrand repeatedly referred to Penny as "the white man" in front of the jury in an apparent effort to racially charge the case. At the outset of trial, the prosecution tried to control what witnesses could say about Penny, particularly how they were allowed to characterize him in court. Assistant DA Dafna Yoran said witnesses shouldn't be permitted to praise Penny as a "hero" or "good Samaritan."
Bragg's opponent in the upcoming 2025 election, GOP challenger Maud Maron, also reacted to the incumbent losing his high-stakes case.
Maron, a former public defender running against Bragg next year, said in a statement shared with Townhall:
"The NYPD Officers who initially interviewed Daniel Penny and declined to arrest him got it right. The Manhattan jury who heard all the evidence, deliberated and returned a verdict of not guilty got it right. The New Yorkers and their fellow Americans who were rooting for Daniel Penny as a hero and understood he should never have been charged in the first place got it right."
"The only person who got this wrong was Alvin Bragg. DA Bragg has pursued a reckless ideological agenda since his first day in office. Manhattan deserves a district attorney who will defend all New Yorkers, apply the law fairly and make Daniel Penny's heroism unnecessary by cleaning up the subways and streets of New York City."