LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jurors convicted a Southern California judge of second-degree murder on Tuesday for fatally shooting his wife while the couple argued and watched television at home.
Orange County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ferguson, 74, was on trial for the 2023 death of his wife Sheryl.
Jurors reached their decision Tuesday afternoon on the murder charge after beginning their deliberations the previous afternoon. After the verdict was read in court, Ferguson was handcuffed and taken into custody.
Ferguson attorney Cameron Talley said the defense plans to appeal.
Authorities said Ferguson had been drinking when he and his wife began arguing over family finances during dinner at a Mexican restaurant with their adult son. Prosecutors said the couple continued arguing after returning home and Ferguson reached for a gun he carried regularly in his ankle holster and shot his wife.
Ferguson did not deny shooting her, but had said it was an accident.
The verdict comes after a previous jury deadlocked in March and Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Eleanor J. Hunter declared a mistrial. Hunter has overseen the case to avoid a conflict of interest with the Superior Court in Orange County, where Ferguson presided over criminal cases until the shooting.
The case had roiled the legal community in the county, which is home to 3 million people between Los Angeles and San Diego.
Prosecutors said Ferguson had been drinking before he made a gun-like hand gesture toward his wife of 27 years during an argument they had at the restaurant on Aug. 3, 2023. Prosecutors said he later pulled out a gun when she chided him to do so after they had gone home and were watching television with their adult son Phillip.
Ferguson testified that he was removing the gun from its holster to place it on a table, and fumbled it, and it discharged.
The case was heard in a courtroom about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from where Ferguson presided over cases as a judge.
Immediately after the shooting, Ferguson and his son both called 911, and Ferguson texted his court clerk and bailiff saying, “I just lost it. I just shot my wife. I won’t be in tomorrow. I will be in custody. I’m so sorry,” according to a copy of a text message shown to jurors. Ferguson spoke with police outside his home and again once he was in custody, and was seen on video sobbing and saying his son and everyone would hate him.
Authorities said they found 47 weapons, including the gun used in the shooting, and more than 26,000 rounds of ammunition at the home, and said Ferguson had ample experience and training in firearms.
Ferguson was a long-time prosecutor who became a judge in 2015. He began his legal career in the district attorney’s office in 1983 and went on to work on narcotics cases, winning various awards.
Ferguson had been out on $2 million bail but was not presiding in court as the state constitution bars a judge facing a felony charge from hearing cases.
Amy Taxin And Jaimie Ding, The Associated Press
