The Daniel Penny Verdict: Justice or Racist?

Daniel Penny was acquitted of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide charges in the death of Jordan Neely, drawing media perspectives on the verdict.

Justice Served: The Editors of The National Review (Right bias) offered context on Neely’s death, including the drugs found in his system and that Penny “rolled Neely into a position to make breathing easier,” and argued, “It was obvious that Penny should not be charged.” The Editors criticized Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, saying the prosecution “set a terrible precedent,” and accused him of trying to weaponize race to achieve an unfair verdict.

BLM Is Over: An opinion from Oliver Bateman of UnHerd (Center bias) claimed the verdict officially marks the end of the Black Lives Matter era, writing, “when the jury delivered its verdict, the response — both in support and opposition — felt muted compared to the protests which once brought millions into the streets.” Citing other current world events the public ostensibly finds more pressing, Bateman concluded, “The era of mass mobilization around racial justice cases, it seems, has largely passed — not with a bang, but with a quiet verdict in a Manhattan courtroom.”

Right-Wing Racism: An analysis from The Guardian (Left bias) highlighted the perspectives of “experts” who argued “Penny’s acquittal fits into a longstanding pattern of how white vigilante crime is treated in the US, with white killers celebrated and Black victims denigrated.” The Guardian also highlighted that Penny “received an onslaught of support from those on the far right” such as Fox News (Right bias) hosts Greg Gutfeld (Lean Right bias) and Kayleigh McEnany, and Ben Shapiro (Right bias), and that the NAACP said such commentators “demonize individuals for existing.”