Editing Long Island Rail Road shooting (section)

====Indictment====
On January 19, 1994, after three days of evidence presentation, a [[grand jury]] handed up a 93-count [[indictment]] against Ferguson, which carried the possibility of up to 175 years in prison. Nassau County District Attorney Denis Dillon said of the sentence maximum; "it's not quite infinity, but it will do."<ref name="McQuiston0119">{{Cite news |last=McQuiston |first=John T. |work=The New York Times |title=New Jersey's New Governor; Grand Jury Indicts Suspect on 93 Counts in Attack That Killed 6 on Long Island Rail Road |date=January 19, 1994 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/19/nyregion/new-jersey-s-new-governor-grand-jury-indicts-suspect-93-counts-attack-that.html |url-access=limited |access-date=November 7, 2009}}</ref> Dillon also announced he would not agree to any [[plea bargain]] in the case. The indictment included two counts of murder for each slain victim, both for intentional murder and for depraved indifference to human life. It also included 19 counts of attempted murder, 34 counts of assault, criminal possession of a weapon, intent to use the weapon, violation of civil rights of each of the 25 victims and "intent to harass, annoy, threaten and alarm" the victims "because of their race, color or national origin."<ref name="McQuiston0119" />

On March 1, 1994, [[William Kunstler]] and [[Ron Kuby]], law partners known for representing unpopular clients, announced they had accepted a request by Ferguson to handle his case.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Kunstler Accepts Rail-Shooting Case |date=March 1, 1994 |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/03/01/nyregion/kunstler-accepts-rail-shooting-case.html |url-access=limited |access-date=November 7, 2009}}</ref><ref name="Rabinovitz0226">{{Cite news |last=Rabinovitz |first=Jonathan |title=Suspect in Rail Shootings May Have Kunstler's Help |work=The New York Times |date=February 26, 1994 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/02/26/nyregion/suspect-in-rail-shootings-may-have-kunstler-s-help.html |url-access=limited |access-date=November 7, 2009}}</ref> Kunstler, who said he would not collect a fee for the defense, said Ferguson had been made out to be a "pariah" by the media and public.<ref name="Rabinovitz0226" /> In April 1994, District Attorney Dillon sought a [[gag order]] for all lawyers involved in the case, arguing Kunstler and Kuby had made statements to the media that might be inadmissible during the trial and could influence potential jurors. Kunstler and Kuby argued they would have no problem finding 12 unbiased jurors and claimed Ferguson had already been publicly attacked in the press by government and police officials.<ref name="Rabinovitz0407">{{Cite news |last=Rabinovitz |first=Jonathan |title=Hearing Held on Bid to Repress Lawyers in Murder Case |work=The New York Times |date=April 7, 1994 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/04/07/nyregion/hearing-held-on-bid-to-repress-lawyers-in-murder-case.html |url-access=limited |access-date=November 7, 2009}}</ref> Nassau County Judge [[Donald E. Belfi]] rejected the [[Gag order#United States|gag order]] on April 23, claiming the impact of inflammatory statements already made by lawyers, politicians and police would fade in the months before the trial began. However, Belfi warned attorneys from both sides to follow a State Court professional disciplinary rule which already limited their comments to news organizations.<ref name="Hoffman0423">{{Cite news |last=Hoffman |first=Jan |title=Lawyers' Publicity Ban Eased in Rail Killings |work=The New York Times |date=April 23, 1994 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/04/23/nyregion/lawyers-publicity-ban-eased-in-rail-killings.html |url-access=limited |access-date=November 7, 2009}}</ref>