SANTA ANA, Calif. (KHN) – The lawyer for a Southern California judge admitted Monday that his client fired the fatal shot that killed his wife, but claimed it was an accident.
Orange County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ferguson sat in the courtroom, approximately 10 miles (16 kilometers) from where he had previously judged over criminal cases, waiting for his turn to testify in his trial. The 74-year-old judge is charged with the murder of his wife, Sheryl, who was shot in August 2023 after the couple argued over family finances while watching “Breaking Bad” on TV.
Ferguson’s lawyer, Cameron J. Talley, stated that his client was an alcoholic who had been drinking when he began pulling a revolver from his ankle holster and placing it on a table. Talley claimed Ferguson fumbled the gun, reached to grab it, and it went off with a “bang.”
“He’s in shock,” Talley told jurors, describing the incident as a “accidental discharge.” “It’s dreamlike to him, and it doesn’t help that he’s a little drunk.”
The statements came during Talley’s opening statement in a case that has roiled the legal community in Orange County, which has a population of 3 million people and is located between Los Angeles and San Diego. Ferguson, who is scheduled to testify this week, has pleaded not guilty to murder charges.
Prosecutors claim Ferguson made a gun hand gesture toward his wife earlier in the evening, after the pair argued about family finances while dining at a Mexican restaurant with their adult son, Phillip. Prosecutor Seton Hunt stated that the dispute continued at home until Sheryl Ferguson chided her husband to point a real gun at her, which he did and squeezed the trigger.
Ferguson was arrested, and in statements captured on police film, he pleaded with a jury to convict him.
“I killed her,” Ferguson is heard admitting. “I did it.”
Ferguson, a former criminal prosecutor, weeping from his seat at the defense table during the trial. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Eleanor J. Hunter, who presided over the case to avoid a conflict of interest, urged him not to cry on the witness stand. “He’s got to control himself,” she remarked.
The trial featured significant footage from cameras worn by police officers who arrived at the couple’s Anaheim Hills home following the incident. There is also video footage showing Ferguson arrested at the police station after his arrest, in which he sobs and says his son and everyone will despise him.
Authorities said they discovered 47 guns in the property, including Ferguson’s ankle holster gun, as well as more than 26,000 rounds of ammunition. Hunt claimed Ferguson had extensive expertise and training with firearms, and Phillip Ferguson testified that his father taught him handgun safety, including always pointing a weapon in a safe direction.
Following the shooting, Jeffrey Ferguson and his son both contacted 911, and Ferguson texted his court clerk and bailiff, stating, “I just lost it. I just shot my wife. I will not be in tomorrow. I’ll be in custody. I’m really sorry,” Hunt told jurors in a copy of a text message.
Ferguson was released on $1 million bond in 2023, but he was arrested again last year after Hunter discovered he had lied about ingesting alcohol in violation of his bail conditions. Ferguson was eventually released on $2 million bail.
Ferguson has been an elected judge in Orange County for a decade, although he is not actively hearing cases. According to the state constitution, a judge facing a felony charge can continue to receive a salary but cannot hear cases.
Ferguson began his legal career in 1983 with the district attorney’s office and went on to work narcotics cases, for which he received numerous accolades. He was president of the North Orange County Bar Association from 2012 to 2014.
According to a copy of the agency’s findings, he was admonished by the Commission on Judicial Performance in 2017 for posting a statement on Facebook about a judicial candidate “with knowing or reckless disregard for the truth of the statement,” as well as being Facebook friends with attorneys appearing before him in court.
Ferguson wrote on his Facebook page that he grew up in a military family and spent his childhood traveling throughout Asia. He attended college and law school in California before marrying his wife in 1996.
Reference: California judge accidentally fired gun shot that killed his wife, lawyer says