Terry Kinney credited as playing...
Ferguson
- Danny Snyder: [during cross examination, Snyder is reading from a prepared list of questions supplied by King Benny] And your function was what at this juvenile facility?
- Ralph Ferguson: Standard stuff. Keep the boys in line, make sure they got to their classes on time, um... keep an eye out for trouble, put them down for the night, nothing exciting.
- Danny Snyder: As guards, were you and Mr. Nokes allowed to use force to, as you put it, keep the boys in line?
- Ralph Ferguson: [confused] What, what do you mean, force?
- Danny Snyder: Were you allowed to hit them?
- Ralph Ferguson: No, of course not.
- Danny Snyder: Were any of the boys hit by any of the guards at any time at the Wilkinson Home?
- Ralph Ferguson: [getting nervous] Yeah, I'm sure that something like that may have happened... it was a big place, but it wasn't the common practice.
- Danny Snyder: Sure. Let's narrow the place down, then. Did you or Mr. Nokes ever hit any of the boys under your care at the Wilkinson Home for Boys?
- [Ferguson is silent]
- Danny Snyder: Would you like me to repeat the question, Mr. Ferguson?
- Ralph Ferguson: No.
- Danny Snyder: Then answer it, please... and remember, you're under oath.
- Ralph Ferguson: [stammers] A few of the boys who we considered to be discipline problems were hit on occasion.
- Danny Snyder: And how were they hit?
- Ralph Ferguson: I don't know what you mean.
- Danny Snyder: A fist, open hand, kick, a baton, maybe.
- Ralph Ferguson: It depended on what the situation called for.
- Danny Snyder: And who determined that situation?
- Ralph Ferguson: The guard on the scene.
- Danny Snyder: That's a lot of power to have over a boy, isn't it?
- Ralph Ferguson: It came with the job, sir.
- Danny Snyder: Did torture come with the job?
- [Ferguson is silent]
- Danny Snyder: The boys were tortured, weren't they, Mr. Ferguson?
- Ralph Ferguson: Define torture.
- Danny Snyder: Well, let's define torture. Uh... cigarette burning, random beatings, solitary confinement with no food and no light. You'd say that took place?
- Ralph Ferguson: On occasion.
- Danny Snyder: Who tortured them?
- Ralph Ferguson: [pauses] Guards.
- Danny Snyder: Which guards?
- Ralph Ferguson: I don't... I can't remember... all of them.
- Danny Snyder: Remember one.
- [Ferguson is silent, seeing John and Tommy as children at the defense table]
- Danny Snyder: Mr. Ferguson, remember one. Can you remember one?
- [Ferguson has a flashback of an abuse session]
- Danny Snyder: Mr. Ferguson?
- Danny Snyder: Mr. Ferguson, was there ever any sexual abuse at the Wilkinson Home for Boys?
- [Ferguson is silent]
- Danny Snyder: Was there ever any sexual abuse at the Wilkinson Home for Boys?
- Ralph Ferguson: Yes, I heard that there was.
- Danny Snyder: I'm not asking you what you heard. I'm asking what you saw.
- Ralph Ferguson: Yes, I saw.
- Danny Snyder: Did you and Sean Nokes ever force yourself on any of the boys? Did you and Sean Nokes ever rape any of the boys at the Wilkinson Home?
- Judge Weisman: Counselors, approach.
- [sidebar, to Michael]
- Judge Weisman: Counselor, what the hell is going on?
- Michael: Guess I called the wrong character witness.
- Ralph Ferguson: [weeping under cross examination] Sean Nokes had experiences with some boys.
- Danny Snyder: Were you there?
- Ralph Ferguson: Yes.
- Danny Snyder: Did you observe these experiences?
- Ralph Ferguson: Yes.
- Danny Snyder: Did you more than observe?
- Ralph Ferguson: I was drinking, and...
- Danny Snyder: Were there any other guards around during these experiences?
- Ralph Ferguson: Yes.
- Danny Snyder: With you and Mr. Nokes?
- Ralph Ferguson: Yes.
- Danny Snyder: [rhetorically] On more than one occasion.
- Ralph Ferguson: Yes. Yeah.
- Danny Snyder: Mr. Ferguson, do you still think that Sean Nokes was a good man?
- Ralph Ferguson: He was my friend!
- [breaks down sobbing]
- Danny Snyder: A friend who raped and abused boys he was paid to look after.
- [walks back to the defense table]
- Danny Snyder: I have no further questions.
- Ralph Ferguson: I want this to be over! I want this to be over.