From the archives: Hearing postponed in Ferguson beating

This story was originally published in Newsday on March 30, 1994.

A judge has delayed a hearing on the validity of charges against five inmates who allegedly beat up accused LIRR gunman Colin Ferguson until after they are formally identified by witnesses.

District Judge John Galasso yesterday rescheduled felony conferences in Nassau County Court to look at the charges against each of the men until April 22. They were arraigned last week on charges of second-degree assault in connection with a jailhouse attack on Ferguson, who is charged with killing six Long Island Rail Road passengers and wounding 19 others Dec. 7. Ferguson suffered a broken nose and an eye injury in the attack.

Galasso said there is very little evidence so far in the case against the inmates. He released the men to their own custody; but all are in jail awaiting trials or serving time for other crimes.

All appeared before Galasso yesterday with court-appointed lawyers.

Frank Cordero, 36, of Westbury; Edward MacKenzie, 38, of Massapequa; Marcos Flores, 30, of the Bronx; James Doukas, 23, of Floral Park; and Robert Drobyshewski, 24, of Manhattan, have faced criminal charges that range from burglary to murder.

They are accused of jumping Ferguson last Tuesday as he walked back to his cell at the far end of a jail tier. William Kunstler and Ronald Kuby, Ferguson's attorneys, said they warned jail officials before the attack that their client was in imminent danger. In a jailhouse interview after the attack, Ferguson said corrections officers were aware of the planned beating and witnessed it.
Jail officials and the corrections officers union have denied the allegations, which are under investigation by county authorities.