This Monday, the jury in the highly publicized case of Daniel Penny reached a verdict after days of deliberation, igniting a firestorm of emotions in the courtroom. Penny, the man at the center of the storm, was acquitted of criminally negligent homicide in the death of Jordan Neely, a 30-year-old homeless man who once found joy in impersonating the King of Pop.
The deliberations stretched over five days, with the jury trying to piece together whether Penny’s actions amounted to a crime. Last week, they had been deadlocked on the more severe charge of manslaughter.
When the verdict was finally announced this morning, the courtroom erupted—a cacophony of cheers from Penny’s supporters clashing with the anguished cries of Neely’s family. According to ABC News, Neely’s father, visibly distraught, unleashed a torrent of curses as he was escorted out of the courtroom.
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The prosecution painted a dark picture of Penny’s actions that fateful day in May 2023. As we previously reported, prosecutors argued that he not only placed Neely in a chokehold for a staggering six minutes but held him for an additional 51 seconds after Neely’s body went limp. Assistant District Attorney Dafna Yoran passionately contended that Penny, in that moment, failed to recognize Neely’s humanity, aware that his grip could lead to death. The city’s medical examiner corroborated this view, attributing Neely’s death directly to the chokehold.
However, Penny’s defense team countered with a narrative of their own, suggesting that Neely’s death stemmed from a pre-existing genetic condition exacerbated by the synthetic marijuana found in his system. This argument swayed the jury enough that, following a request from the prosecutors, Judge Maxwell Wiley dismissed the more serious manslaughter charge and directed the jury to consider only the lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide.
With a maximum sentence of four years hanging in the balance, the jury ultimately found Penny not guilty. As he exited the courtroom, a brief smile flickered across his face, a major difference from from Neely’s heartbroken family and supporters.