Opinion ID: 3045707
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Prison Officials and Employees

Text: The State also called as witnesses a number of prison officials who had regular contact with Ferguson around the time his death warrant was signed on September 5, 2012. They uniformly testified that Ferguson did not exhibit any abnormal behaviors or make any unusual requests that suggested he was mentally unstable. Officer Jay Taylor, who spoke to Ferguson on the day his death warrant was signed, testified that Ferguson stated that he had not had a warrant signed on him in 35 years. Brad Whitehead, the assistant warden at Florida State Prison, testified that he spoke to Ferguson about his wishes for a last meal, the disposition of his remains, and who should be contacted. Ferguson provided Whitehead with the names of his mother, his attorneys’ law firm, and his spiritual advisor, and he also expressed concern about his mother’s wellbeing due to her medical conditions. When asked what he wanted done with his remains after his execution, Ferguson responded that he needed to consult with his attorneys about that. At no point did 25 Case: 12-15422 Date Filed: 05/21/2013 Page: 26 of 65 he indicate or imply that he was unconcerned about the disposition of his remains because his status as the Prince of God would render that matter moot. Jennifer Sagle, a mental health counselor who worked on death row from December 2005 until July 2012, testified that during the time she worked there Ferguson maintained an S-1 psychiatric classification, the lowest level recognized by the Florida Department of Corrections. Sagle further testified that she never received any complaints or referrals from other inmates or prison guards regarding Ferguson’s mental health, and that she had not personally observed any unusual behavior or symptoms of schizophrenia during her weekly rounds. Although Sagle acknowledged that paranoid schizophrenics might not outwardly manifest “positive symptoms” of their disease, such as hallucinations, she testified that they would exhibit “negative symptoms” such as a flattened affect and lack of motivation, which Ferguson had not shown.