Daniel Penny was greeted with shouts of “Guilty!” as he arrived in court Monday morning ahead of closing arguments in his lightning-rod Manhattan manslaughter trial in the chokehold death of Jordan Neely.
Penny, 26, strolled into Manhattan Supreme Court around 10:15 a.m. flanked by his attorneys Thomas Kenniff and Steven Raiser — as a 12-person jury will hear final remarks from prosecutors and the defense before the panel begins deliberations.
A group of a dozen protesters chanted, “Guilty! Guilty! Guilty!” as the Marine veteran exited a black SUV outside the 100 Centre St. courthouse.
“What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!” the demonstrators shouted.
Penny is charged with second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide in connection to Neely’s death in a crowded Manhattan subway car in May 2023.
The altercation, which was captured on video by bystanders, shows Penny keeping the troubled homeless man in a chokehold for nearly six minutes.
Prosecutors say Penny “recklessly” killed Neely, 30, by maintaining the hold for far longer than Neely could have reasonably been considered a threat — including for 51 seconds after his body went limp.
Penny’s attorneys have argued that his actions were justified, and have claimed that there’s reasonable doubt that his chokehold is what caused Neely’s death.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has not said how stiff a sentence he would seek if the jury convicts Penny, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The Long Island native faces up to 15 years in state prison if convicted of the top charge, but he could also be handed a non-jail sentence.
