NEW YORK (AP) — Jurors began answering questions about their backgrounds and potential biases Friday in the trial of a white U.S. Marine Corps veteran charged with killing a troubled Black man on a subway train last year.
Following days of pre-screening to excuse people who couldn’t serve because of work or family duties, this next round of questioning aims to choose the Manhattanites who will decide the manslaughter case against Daniel Penny, 25.
He put Jordan Neely in a chokehold that, medical examiners said, killed him. Prosecutors say Penny’s move was reckless and unwarranted. His lawyers have said he was just trying to subdue Neely, who was behaving erratically and making remarks that Penny and some witnesses recalled as threatening.
Judge Maxwell Wiley on Friday began asking prospective jurors standard questions, such as their neighborhood and line of work, but also about whether they or anyone close to them has been in the military, has experience in martial arts or wrestling, or has dealt with drug addiction or homelessness. They also were asked how often they use the subway and whether they’ve witnessed any outbursts there.