The Root; Published By Jessica Washington
Photo: Michael Nigro/Pacific Press/LightRocket (Getty Images)
Daniel Penny pleaded not guilty in a Manhattan court in a case that has captured national attention. The former marine was caught on camera choking Jordan Neely, a Black unhoused man, to death on a Manhattan subway car. While many news stories have focused on Penny pleading not guilty, there was a separate development in the case.
On Wednesday, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg officially announced Neely’s indictment, ending any speculation about the current charges. So what does the information inside of the grand jury indictment tell us about the case?
What Was Inside The Indictment?
Although the indictment is only two pages (which is standard), former San Francisco Prosecutor Paul Henderson says there are things we can learn from it about the case. Namely, Henderson points to the grand jury’s decision to charge Penny with manslaughter in the second degree and criminally negligent homicide, which carry sentences of up to 15 and 4 years, respectively.
“You typically get charges like that with an imperfect self-defense,” explains Henderson. “So in self-defense cases, you’re allowed to defend yourself, but you’re only allowed to defend yourself to meet the aggression or the action of the [other] party, and you cannot exceed it.” Read more
