Justice delivered by a jury composed of the defendant’s peers
Stamford, Connecticut: The acquittal of Daniel Penny in the subway death of Jordan Neely is an example of the wisdom of our jury trial system. Penny, who was questioned by police on the day of Neely’s death, was released without arrest. Only after 10 days of outrage did Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg succumb to public pressure and file charges against Penny.
Today, after a full and fair criminal trial, a jury of Penny’s peers returned a verdict of not guilty. Usually, the circumstances of a criminal case become sterilized when evaluated in a courtroom. The event itself is left out and the matter is judged according to a set of rules and standards that eliminate the actual reality of what happened. Fortunately, the jurors, all residents of Manhattan by law, saw through the prosecutors’ attempt to clean things up.
A subway car can be a scary place. Passengers are trapped with nowhere to retreat. Threatening behavior increases a thousandfold. What could be a harmless rant on the street becomes a terrorizing experience on the subway. New Yorkers understand this and have been able to correctly visualize Neely’s conduct as it actually occurred, despite Bragg’s efforts to trivialize it as harmless.
No one on that train knew how dangerous Neely’s behavior would become. Penny acted courageously to subdue a threat that was terrorizing a car full of straps. Yes, Neely’s death was unfortunate, but as the saying goes, it is better to be judged by 12 than carried by six. Pierre Janoff
Deadly Signal
Kearny, NJ: Wow, so you can literally snuff the life out of a man who hasn’t really done much more than beg, walk away unscathed, and move on with your life without any consequences. What a dangerous message to send to this stressed, angry and divided nation. John Woodmaska
Vigilant threat
Far Rockaway: Dear Mayor Adams, Because of Penny’s not guilty verdict, I implore you to put more police officers on subway trains more often than you do. I know for a fact that kids riding the subway can be noisy and a little boisterous (I’m a subway rider). How long will it be before someone’s child becomes the victim of a do-gooder who wants to save people from children who behave in ways they don’t like? Please protect our children. Now Reed
I crossed a sacred line
Fresh Meadows: I’m so lucky to be a white person with a job in the New York area, and poor Jordan Neely wasn’t! I am stunned and ashamed of the jury, composed mainly of women, who acquitted Daniel Penny. Sure, he managed to subdue Neely, but he really should have left it at that and not killed Neely without any awareness of wrongdoing. Lesley Lewis Paulos
Times haven’t changed
Manhattan: Penny’s trial reminded me of the Bernie Goetz affair, when, in 1984, Goetz shot and wounded four young black men on a subway train who had asked him for money. He shot two in the back, and one of them later sued Goetz and won a $43 million judgment against him. At the time of the shooting, Goetz was being heralded as a hero by the tabloids and lovingly compared to the vigilante subway shooter played by Charles Bronson in the hit film “Death Wish,” who casually massacred young black men. Goetz was tried for attempted murder, assault, reckless endangerment and firearms offenses. The jury found him guilty of a single count of carrying a firearm without a license, for which he served eight months in prison. I expect Penny’s flapping will reflect the judiciary’s fear of running through Donald Trump’s virulent MAGA base, who will celebrate the death of a hapless young man the country left for dead long ago. Ron Spursa
Prepare for backlash
Bronx: With Penny’s not guilty verdict and possible protests, it will test how the new police commissioner behaves in the coming days. If there are less peaceful protests, time will tell. Jimmy Durda
Ideal vs Real
Staten Island: We disagree with Leonard Greene’s article regarding the Penny/Neely tragedy (“He Can Skate on Death,” Dec. 8 column). No one’s opinion, other than those who are actually on the subway, carries much weight. The element “could have, should have and should have” makes no sense. Where was the Neely family during all those years he lived on the streets, doing drugs, committing over 40 crimes, and beating an innocent woman just standing on the subway platform? They wasted no time in filing a civil suit! How are the rights of law-abiding citizens respected when the media repeatedly publishes photos of 15-year-old Neely as Michael Jackson’s street performer rather than the uncontrollable mental patient he is became ? The fact that the general public is reasonably expected to endure their travels is not enough to solve the problems we face. Ellen Settanni
Contrasting cases
Jacksonville, Florida: I find it disturbing that people, including Leonard Greene, manage to condemn Penny for not knowing how long to hold someone – in this case, a crazy man – before letting him go. I doubt he, or 99% of the people who wanted Penny convicted of something, were ever in the same situation. In contrast, a few weeks later, Jordan Williams stabbed to death an aggressive and irrational man, much like Neely. No charges were filed even though Williams, who is black, possessed an illegal weapon and fled the scene. Unlike the Neely case, there was virtually no doubt about the results of sticking a knife in a man’s chest. Where is the outrage towards Williams’ victim? Greene and other judges of how long someone should be held in a chokehold should try to apply their outrage in the same way. TA Summerlin
You weren’t there
Glendale: When columnist Leonard Greene passes judgment on an incident in which he was not present, he freely associates himself with a mentality that deserves scrutiny. A larger question regarding his determination that Penny did something wrong in trying to stop a deranged man from harassing and threatening others on the train cannot be answered when race is factored into the equation . Would Greene feel as adamant if the two people were the same race? This requires explanation and verification. Unfortunately, agenda-driven rhetoric only deepens the divisions that our country no longer wants to see or proliferate. The witnesses present on the train that day are the only ones who can testify to what they felt. Speculation does not necessarily reflect reality. Sorry, Mr. Greene, redressing your personal grievances against others doesn’t mean you can become judge and jury on anything except your own emotions. Jonathan Kiddrane
To help or not to help
Brooklyn: In his case against Penny in Sunday’s Daily News, Leonard Greene compares his recent experience on the train with Penny’s. He also congratulates himself on not having helped a passenger who was being harassed by someone who was obviously not of sound mind. There’s no doubt that most runners would prefer Penny over Greene in this situation. Greene also focuses on race and leaves out many relevant facts in the case in order to vilify Penny. Would he defend Penny if the two men were opposite colors? Jack Flynn
Man of action
Manhattan: To Leonard Greene: I read your column three times to understand your thinking and realized that, like you, I am fundamentally a coward at heart. When faced with a threat, you would stand there like everyone else, hoping that it would disappear or that someone else would come to your rescue. You wouldn’t have killed him, but you wouldn’t have tried to stop him from harming others either, and yet you’re willing to pass judgment on a man who faced a threat you recognize not being ready to confront – and I’m not. I’m sure how I would have handled this situation. Personally, I think Penny should get the key to the city to achieve what most of our citizens fear awaits them on a daily basis in New York. Carl Maury
