WASHINGTON—Following Daniel Penny’s acquittal this week, Heritage Foundation senior legal fellows and former federal prosecutors Zack Smith and Charles Stimson made the following statement: 

“Alvin Bragg, the rogue prosecutor in Manhattan, never should have charged this case. It was clear from the start that Daniel Penny committed no crime, and ultimately, a jury of his peers agreed.

“Still, it’s a sad situation that Penny has been forced to endure countless months of stress and expense defending his Good Samaritan actions. And he will likely have to endure more stress and expense as he defends himself against a civil suit. 

"New Yorkers know that instead of prosecuting those who try to help their own, Bragg and other city leaders should be focused on combatting the city’s violent crime problem. Unfortunately, Bragg and others chose not to do that, and it’s time for them to go.”