Ryan Ferguson's father urges change in criminal procedures
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Ryan Ferguson's father urges change in criminal procedures

Date: February 18, 2014
By: Arianna Poindexter
State Capitol Bureau

Intro: 
A man whose son attracted national attention attempted to support a bill changing eye-witness procedures, but was stopped by a Senate gun bill filibuster.
RunTime:  0:40
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: A gun control filibuster postponed a hearing where Ryan Ferguson's father intended to testify.

Bill Ferguson supports changing criminal eyewitness procedures.

He says he feels obligated to help others who he believes are innocent but were still convicted.

Actuality:  FERG3.WAV
Run Time:  00:12
Description: "Well, once we got involved in Ryan's case, then we realized that many other people were in a similar situation. So we just feel that it would be horrible if we didn't help the people that we feel were convicted that were innocent."

His son, Ryan Ferguson, was released in November after spending 10 years in prison.

Ryan Ferguson declined to comment.

The hearing will be rescheduled for a later date.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Arianna Poindexter.

 

Intro: 
A filibuster on a gun control bill postponed a hearing where the father of a man who attracted national attention was scheduled to testify.
RunTime:  0:37
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: Ryan Ferguson's father sat for nearly an hour as senators filibustered about gun control laws.

He intended to testify in support a bill that requires law enforcement agencies to record all interrogations. 

Bill Ferguson says the Columbia Police Department manipulated the interrogation of a key witness against his son.

Actuality:  FERG1.WAV
Run Time:  00:10
Description: "Police spoon fed Erickson information and based on that and other false police reports that the Columbia Police generated, made him think that he committed the crime in which he didn't."
  

The judiciary committee has yet to reschedule the hearing.  

Ryan Ferguson declined to comment.  

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Arianna Poindexter.