The household of Jordan Neely is shifting ahead with a civil lawsuit towards Daniel Penny after the Marine veteran was discovered not responsible by a jury on Monday.
The Manhattan jury acquitted the 26-year-old man of criminally negligent murder after the extra critical manslaughter cost was dismissed as a result of the jury was deadlocked on that depend.
Neely’s household decried the jury’s resolution exterior of courtroom, along with his father demanding motion towards a “rigged” system.
“I just want to say, I miss my son. My son didn’t have to go through this. I didn’t have to go through this either. It hurts, really, really hurts,” Andre Zachary mentioned.
Final week, Zachary filed a lawsuit accusing Penny of negligence, assault and battery, which led to the demise of his unarmed, 30-year-old son on Could 1, 2023, on an underground prepare.
Zachary is looking for a judgment awarding damages “in a sum which exceeds the jurisdictional limits of all lower Courts which would otherwise have jurisdiction,” in keeping with the lawsuit.
Exterior of courtroom on Monday, Neely’s lawyer mentioned the civil case would transfer ahead.
“I promised this family that we will would justice, we’re still going to do that. We’re going to move forward with our suit,” Dante Mills mentioned. “The district attorney did a good job, but the jury in this case let us down.”
Penny’s lawyer Steven Raiser dismissed the swimsuit as a distraction final week.
“The timing is unfortunate as Danny is awaiting a verdict from the jury where the potential consequences are far greater than any civil suit could threaten,” he mentioned in a press release Thursday, including that Penny had not but been served the criticism. “We will not be distracted by this attempt to attack Danny while he is under such tremendous stress.”
The case amplified many American fault strains, amongst them race, politics, crime, city life, psychological sickness and homelessness. Neely was Black. Penny is white.
There have been typically dueling demonstrations exterior the courthouse, and high-profile Republican politicians portrayed Penny as a hero whereas distinguished Democrats attended Neely’s funeral.
The decision capped a trial that took a tumultuous flip final Friday, when jurors mentioned they couldn’t attain a unanimous verdict on the manslaughter cost. The choose then dismissed it at prosecutors’ request — a uncommon one for prosecutors to make within the thick of a trial.
“What are we going to do people? What’s going to happen to us now? I’ve had enough of this. The system is rigged,” Zachary mentioned.
