Major Figures Laud Jury For Acquitting Daniel Penny

Several notable figures praised the Manhattan jury on Monday for acquitting 26-year-old Marine veteran Daniel Penny this week of criminally negligent homicide.

Penny was accused of putting homeless man Jordan Neely in a fatal chokehold on a New York City subway car last year after he had threatened other passengers on the train.

“I have not said much about this case out of fear of (negatively) influencing the jury,” said Vice President-elect J.D. Vance. “But thank God justice was done in this case. It was a scandal Penny was ever prosecuted in the first place.”

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis posted on X: “The acquittal of Daniel Penny is clearly the just and correct verdict.”

“I must admit I was skeptical that a jury in New York City would reach a unanimous not guilty verdict, and the jury deserves credit for doing the right thing,” he continued. “Meanwhile, is there a worse prosecutor in America than Alvin Bragg?”

Professional golfer Phil Mickelson called the ruling “common sense.”

“Finally a little common sense. There never should have been a trial,” he said. “He should be commended for selfless actions to protect the other passengers and those who brought charges should be out of a job.”

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Maye Musk weighed in: “The Daniel Penny case made me so angry. Now it’s over. He is our hero.”

“America needs more men like Daniel Penny,” added The Daily Wire’s Ben Shapiro. “America needs fewer prosecutors like Alvin Bragg.”

Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale posted on X: “It’s not a crime to defend women and children; it’s your duty as an honorable man.”

“I’m sorry he went through this; we need to stop electing crazy D prosecutors!” he continued, later adding: “We need to give him the hero’s treatment and show that it’s worth it.”

Jurors were originally tasked with determining whether Penny “recklessly” caused the death of Neely by using the chokehold – or second-degree manslaughter – or if he was guilty of criminally negligent homicide, a lesser charge that carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison. According to court documents, the lesser charge requires the jury to determine Penny failed to recognize Neely’s life was at risk as he held him in the chokehold.

On Friday, the jury indicated it was deadlocked over the manslaughter charge, The Daily Wire reported at the time. Judge Maxwell Wiley initially told the jury to return to deliberations and find a unanimous decision, but they again said they couldn’t. At that point, the judge and Assistant District Attorney Dafna Yoran discussed the possibility of dropping the manslaughter charge and allowing the jury to deliberate on the lesser charge in an effort to find a guilty verdict.

When the Jury returned to work on Monday, it took them less than an hour to return a not guilty verdict for the lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide.