Daniel Penny and his legal team took a well-deserved victory lap Monday by bar-hopping around Manhattan, where Democrat DA Alvin Bragg tried to throw the book at him in a high-stakes trial ending in acquittal.
Penny was photographed enjoying drinks with defense attorneys Thomas Kenniff, who posted a picture of his client celebrating, and Steven Raiser at Stone Street Tavern in the Financial District hours after a jury acquitted him of any criminal wrongdoing in the death of Jordan Neely.
The victory party eventually moved on to the American Whiskey bar in Midtown, where Penny and his posse were spotted downing pints.
JUST IN: Daniel Penny and his lawyers interviewed by the New York Post as they celebrate his not-guilty verdict.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) December 9, 2024
Glad he is enjoying the win 🔥
"He was trying to help people on that train, and he did."
"I'm just glad that the jury was able to truly evaluate that as a potential… pic.twitter.com/4V6mOlg8qi
Asked how he was feeling in the aftermath of the month-long trial, a relieved-looking Penny, whose security guards were also in tow, gave a hearty, "Great," during brief on-camera comments to The New York Post.
"He's finally got the justice he deserves," Kenniff added.
Penny would have faced up to four years in prison, if the jury had decided otherwise. He was previously charged with second-degree manslaughter, a more serious offense carrying a maximum sentence of 15 years behind bars, but the prosecution decided to drop that charge when the jury was deadlocked all day Friday.
Now, Kenniff said that Penny is looking forward to "get[ting] his life back together."
"The situation is like this: we savor the victory but all the harm that has been done to him just doesn't vanish," Kenniff told The Post. "That's true of anyone who is falsely accused."
Daniel Penny is celebrating his acquittal at a bar in downtown Manhattan.
— Mia Cathell (@MiaCathell) December 9, 2024
Pub patrons pulled out their phones to take photos with a cheerful Penny. FULL STORY: https://t.co/7C45Hx7acO pic.twitter.com/elOLjhNHxP
In separate statements, Kenniff told FOX 5 New York that this indictment has been weighing on Penny's shoulders ever since Bragg brought the charges against him.
Penny, who had been stoic throughout the trial, briefly smiled as the forewoman read the decision.
Kenniff said he wasn't surprised to see the jury's not-guilty verdict, believing he would be ultimately exonerated because "the evidence overwhelming supported that."
"When you're in the midst of it, five days of deliberation, it would be inhuman not to be nervous, not to have anxiety. Were we surprised by how it came down, when it came down, the moment it came down? Sure. But were we surprised by the result? No."
However, "It should have happened probably on Day One," he continued. "The important thing is it happened. We can't control the timing of it, but we can certainly savor the outcome."
Raiser noted, "Well, he's not guilty for a few different reasons."
He emphasized that Penny acted to defend his fellow passengers that day. The lawyer also pointed to a number of factors that the defense presented at trial as contributing causes to Neely's death, such as the K2 abuse, his sickle-cell condition, and suspected cardiac issues.
"Not to mention the paranoid schizophrenia, which only added to that impact," Raiser stated. "So I'm just glad the jury was able to truly evaluate that as a potential cause of death and that Danny was justified in the actions that he took."
Fox News announced that Penny is scheduled to appear in his first formal interview with Judge Jeanine Pirro later this week. According to a press release, Penny's full interview will be out on Wednesday with a first look airing Tuesday on "The Five" at 5 p.m. ET.