WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (Court TV) — Citing multiple job offers he’s received as part of his argument, the father convicted of child abuse after locking his son in an 8×8 enclosure in the garage is asking a judge to release him from jail.
Timothy Ferriter was sentenced to five years in prison to be followed by five years probation after a jury convicted him on charges of false imprisonment and aggravated child abuse. Ferriter had admitted to locking his adopted son, RF, in an 8×8 room he and his wife had built in their garage as a method of discipline.
Tim Ferriter listens as he is sentenced in court. (Court TV)
While court records reviewed by Court TV indicate that Ferriter has filed for an appeal of his conviction with a new attorney, the filing itself is not yet available.
In a separate filing by both Ferriter’s trial attorney and his new attorney, he has asked the judge to release him from jail on bond pending his appeal.
READ MORE: ‘I’m very sorry’: Timothy Ferriter sentenced to jail at emotional hearing
The motion says that if released, Ferriter would live with his wife at the home of a third party and that he has already made arrangements for employment. Attached to the motion are letters from Dream Outdoor Properties as well as a Mazda dealership, both stating that Ferriter was offered positions.
Dream Outdoor Properties, a real estate company, offered Ferriter a job as sales assistant at a rate of $30/hour, with a minimum 20 hours per week and a maximum of 40 hours per week. Ferriter would be responsible for making calls, preparing marketing materials and working with the marketing team.
Mazda Palm Beach offered Ferriter the title of salesperson at the dealership with a weekly salary of $250 plus commission. The letter from the dealership says that most of their salespeople average $80,000 a year, with some reaching $200,000. The dealership noted that Saturdays are “mandatory workdays” and that he would be eligible for benefits and vacation time.
However, an attorney representing the dealership told Scripps News West Palm Beach that the offer letter is “a complete and unequivocal forgery.”
“At no time has Mr. Ferriter applied to Mazda of Palm Beach, let alone been given an offer of employment at the dealership. Moreover, the letterhead appearing on the document is incorrect, as it is nothing more than a copy and paste of a website graphic.”
Prya Murad, Ferriter’s attorney, told Scripps News West Palm Beach that she “had no knowledge” the document was fake and would provide supporting documentation to the court.
In asking to be released, Ferriter’s attorney references the motion for appeal without revealing its contents, describing the issues as “fairly debatable” but offering no further elaboration.
Prosecutors have not filed a response, but in previous motions have expressed concerns that Ferriter could be a flight risk, citing a history of living in Spain and a lack of ties to the community.
No date has been set for the motions to be heard. Ferriter’s wife, Tracy, faces the same charges on which her husband was convicted after the couple’s cases were severed. She is next due in court on Dec. 6, 2023, for a motions hearing. Her trial date has not yet been scheduled.
