The acquittal of Daniel Penny in the death of Jordan Neely has sent ripples through Manhattan and beyond, culminating in a public statement from District Attorney Alvin Bragg. His remarks, though measured, reveal the embattled nature of this high-profile case, which sparked heated debate over issues of justice, public safety, and prosecutorial discretion.
Bragg began by defending his office’s decision to pursue the case. “As with every case, we followed the facts and the evidence from the beginning to end,” he stated. Yet, the outcome—a swift not-guilty verdict on the criminally negligent homicide charge after jurors deadlocked on Friday—underscored the challenges his prosecution faced. Notably, the top second-degree manslaughter charge was dropped late in the trial, signaling a tactical pivot that ultimately failed to secure a conviction.
The political ramifications were swift. Maud Maron, Bragg’s GOP opponent in the upcoming 2025 election, lambasted the DA’s handling of the case, framing it as emblematic of a broader ideological failure. In her view, Penny’s actions were justified, and the jury’s verdict vindicated the initial decision by NYPD officers not to arrest him.
Now this is just speculation but Bragg didn’t exactly seemed heartbroken at the outcome.
All he pretty much said was, “the jury has spoken.”
New statement from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on Daniel Penny acquittal
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
— Dan Rivoli (@danrivoli) December 9, 2024
One must wonder if the Biden administration used Bragg as a pawn.
Remember in 2022, Bragg suspened the criminal case against Trump, and the two prosecutors in the case flipped out. They trashed him in the press writing a letter. The next thing you know, a high-level DOJ official “resigns” and gets “hired” by Bragg’s office.
Not long after, Bragg will be prosecuting Trump again.
Initially, Penny wasn’t arrested, and it took some time before Penny was arrested.
In addition, we know that Fulton County, Georgia, prosecutor Fani Willis is now being ordered to turn over all of her communication with DC regarding her case, and only time will tell what was really going on.
This isn’t a defense of Bragg; if he didn’t like what was going on, then he should have at the least resigned or blown the whistle, but he didn’t. He was either a coward or a shameless opportunist.
