SANTA ANA, Calif. A Southern California judge is facing trial for murder after allegedly pulling a gun from his ankle holster and fatally shooting his wife during an argument, prosecutors told jurors on Wednesday.
Orange County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ferguson, 74, was captured on police bodycam footage admitting to the shooting of his wife, Sheryl Ferguson. While his defense does not dispute that he fired the weapon, they argue it was an accident.
Prosecutor Seton Hunt told the jury that Ferguson had been drinking on August 3, 2023, when he and his wife got into an argument over finances during dinner at a restaurant. The dispute continued at their home in Anaheim Hills while they were watching Breaking Bad with their adult son. During the altercation, Ferguson allegedly made a gun hand gesture toward his wife. Hunt stated that Sheryl Ferguson responded by taunting him to point a real gun at her.
“He proceeded to do so and pulled the trigger,” Hunt told the jury.
Following the shooting, Ferguson was taken into custody. In police video footage shown in court, Ferguson is heard confessing, saying: “I killed her. I did it.” He also texted his court clerk and bailiff, writing: “I just lost it. I just shot my wife. I won’t be in tomorrow. I will be in custody. I’m so sorry.”
Ferguson, who sat in court wearing a gray suit and glasses, has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. His defense attorney, Cameron J. Talley, did not give an opening statement but previously stated that the shooting was unintentional. He confirmed that Ferguson plans to testify in his own defense.
Ferguson’s son, Phillip, testified that his father had taught him about firearm safety, including always pointing a gun in a safe direction. He recalled hearing his mother’s final words after the shot was fired: “He shot me.” Phillip said he jumped over a couch, forced his father to surrender the gun, and then called 911 before attempting CPR on his mother.
Authorities later discovered 47 firearms and more than 26,000 rounds of ammunition in Ferguson’s home. Prosecutors argued that his extensive experience with firearms suggests he knew exactly what he was doing when he pulled the trigger.
Ferguson was initially released on $1 million bail but was re-arrested after violating bail conditions by drinking alcohol. He was later released again on $2 million bail.
A former criminal prosecutor, Ferguson had served as an elected judge in Orange County for a decade but has been suspended from hearing cases due to the felony charge. Under California’s constitution, a judge facing such charges can continue receiving a salary but cannot preside over court proceedings.
In 2017, Ferguson was admonished by the Commission on Judicial Performance for making a misleading Facebook post about a judicial candidate and for maintaining social media connections with attorneys appearing before him in court. His social media history also reveals that he came from a military family, traveled extensively in Asia as a child, and later attended college and law school in California. He and Sheryl Ferguson were married in 1996.
The case has sent shockwaves through the legal community in Orange County. Due to potential conflicts of interest, a Los Angeles County judge is presiding over the case in Santa Ana.
With Ferguson’s defense yet to present its full argument, the jury will now have to determine whether the fatal shooting was truly accidental or a deliberate act of murder.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
- Gary P Hernalhttps://tutubi.ph/author/gary-hernal/
- Gary P Hernalhttps://tutubi.ph/author/gary-hernal/
- Gary P Hernalhttps://tutubi.ph/author/gary-hernal/
- Gary P Hernalhttps://tutubi.ph/author/gary-hernal/
