On Monday, Daniel Penny was acquitted by a Manhattan jury of criminally negligent homicide — a monumental victory not only for Penny but for justice itself. While the verdict delivered the right result, legal experts from across the political spectrum concurred that Penny should never have been charged in the first place in connection with the death of Jordan Neely. The fact that such charges were brought in the first place calls for serious consequences, and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg must face accountability for that.
The District Attorney’s office focused on one thing and one thing only: a white man subduing a black man who later died. They ignored the fact that Neely was on drugs and threatening passengers on the subway or that many witnesses praised Penny for stepping in, believing that his actions may have saved lives. After the jury deadlocked on the manslaughter charge, the prosecution requested to drop it, likely hoping for a conviction on the lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide. Fortunately, the jury ultimately acquitted Penny of that charge as well.
Related: BREAKING: Daniel Penny Not Guilty
But Penny’s acquittal doesn’t mean that our justice system isn’t broken. It is still broken, and Bragg is a key reason for it. He’s abused the power of his office, politicizing and racializing justice for his own personal gain. His actions have not only undermined the credibility of his office but have also made a mockery of justice itself. Instead of serving as an impartial enforcer of the law, Bragg has turned the judicial system into a tool for political retribution, racially charged agendas, and a blatant disregard for equal justice under the law.
Until he faces consequences for this, we can never regain trust in the system.
Bragg’s most high-profile move, of course, was his decision to indict former President Donald Trump by taking a misdemeanor charge that was out of the statute of limitations, twisting the law to turn it into a felony, and stacking the charge 34 times. It was undeniable that Bragg’s prosecution was less about the rule of law and more about political revenge and perhaps his own personal ambition.
The system isn’t fixed. Daniel Penny got lucky, but Trump was found guilty.
The political weaponization of the justice system goes even deeper with Bragg than in these two cases. His office has consistently shown an alarming tendency to go light on criminals while ramping up efforts to target people who dare to defend themselves from criminals. Two years ago, Bragg brought charges against a bodega clerk who killed a man who attacked him. He has repeatedly failed to prosecute violent criminals, even downgrading charges in many instances. Bragg has shown a clear tendency to protect criminals while aggressively pursuing charges against his political opponents or in cases where race can be used as a divisive issue. This is a man who prioritizes political agendas over the safety and fairness that should define our justice system.
If we are to restore trust in our legal system, we must start by holding corrupt officials like Alvin Bragg accountable for their actions. If anyone deserves to be in prison, it’s him — because he’s the one who has abused the law for his own political ends. The time for accountability is now.
