Daniel Penny is “remaining positive and optimistic” and spending the weekend with his family as a Manhattan jury resumes deliberations in the high-profile subway strangulation case, his lawyer told the Post. Ta.
Jurors are scheduled to return to court on Monday to consider whether to convict Penny on the top-level manslaughter charge.
“He spends much of his free time with his mother and sisters,” Penny's lawyer, Thomas Kenniff, told the Saturday Post. “They were his rock through this very difficult time.”
Manslaughter is punishable by up to four years of probation.
“Danny is relieved that the manslaughter charge has been dismissed, but the indictment still carries a second-degree murder charge and a significant state prison sentence,” Kenniff said.
“He is confident that when the jury returns on Monday, they will agree that Jordan Neely acted reasonably in the face of the unprecedented fear he displayed on the F train. An innocent man. There can be no compromise when it comes to freedom.”
Penny's lawyers argued that the Long Island native and aspiring architect was justified in defending his passengers from a man who witnesses said yelled, “Someone's going to die today!” And the one who said he was going to jail if he rode the F train uptown.
Deliberations began Tuesday afternoon and culminated in a dramatic development in court Friday, in which prosecutors ultimately dismissed the manslaughter charge.
The development drew praise for Penny from none other than champion golfer Phil Mickelson. Mickelson shared a post from political commentator Colin Rugg on the X show, calling Penny a “model citizen…a hero” who every city's mayor should want more of. and “an increasingly rare breed of young people.”
Mickelson agreed with Rugg.
“I agree. Daniel, thank you for serving your country and protecting the many passengers whose lives were threatened by this violent and deranged individual.” Mickelson wrote.
