In a courtroom drama unfolding in Manhattan, a jury has been selected in the high-profile manslaughter case against Daniel Penny. However, the process has been marred by accusations of racial bias, adding a contentious layer to the proceedings.

Manhattan prosecutor Dafna Yoran has accused defense attorneys of systematically excluding people of color from the jury panel.

“The defense is striking people for their race,” Yoran stated, highlighting that “eight out of their nine challenges have been for people of color, of those five are black, two are Hispanic, one is Asian.”

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The defense swiftly dismissed these allegations as “outrageous,” standing firm in their jury selection strategy. The controversy erupted when defense attorney Thomas Kenniff moved to strike a Black woman and a Hispanic woman from the panel.

Kenniff justified his challenges by referring to the Black woman’s unconventional appearance, saying, “She can have whatever hair she wants to, but it’s outside the mainstream appearance,” and noting the Hispanic woman’s previous experiences with homelessness.

Kenniff also objected to a Hispanic man who described himself as a “weed connoisseur” and was deemed, in his words, to be on the “low end of the education scale.”

Furthermore, Penny’s defense team struck a Hispanic juror affiliated with the Green Party, which Kenniff criticized for its “very left-of-center” stance.

The selection process drew further scrutiny as jurors of color were disqualified for reading The New York Times, a decision the defense justified by claiming such individuals would be “less favorable” to their case.

Prosecutors argued that White jurors with similar media preferences were not challenged, leading Yoran to assert, “The fact that they are scrambling as hard as they are to come up with the reasons tells the story.”

In a heated courtroom exchange, Yoran accused the defense of “mixing up the two black jurors,” a charge Kenniff vehemently denied. “We’re not mixing them up, judge,” he retorted, describing the accusation as a “passive-aggressive comment to suggest that we’re labeling.”

The finalized jury consists of seven white individuals, alongside one Filipino man, one Middle Eastern man, and one Hispanic juror. Among them is a woman originally from Long Island who now resides in the city. With opening arguments set to commence on Friday at 10 a.m., the trial promises to be closely watched, with jury selection already casting a shadow over the proceedings.