A Southern California judge who was accused of killing his wife during an argument while he was intoxicated has pleaded not guilty to murder charges.
Jeffrey Ferguson, 72, an Orange County Superior Court judge, appeared in criminal court on Tuesday after being charged with one count of murder and weapons-related enhancements. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Ricardo Ocampo ordered him to wear a GPS and a blood alcohol content monitoring system while he remains free on $1 million bail.
AMAZON PHARMACY ANNOUNCES AGGRESSIVE MOVE TO MAKE INSULIN MORE AFFORDABLE
Prosecutors argued that the shooting was an accident, and his team was confident that the jury would agree that Ferguson didn’t commit a crime.
“This was an unintentional, accidental shooting and not a crime,” attorney Paul Meyer said, per the Associated Press.
The conditions of Ferguson’s bail include the surrender of his passport, no possession of any firearms or ammunition, and his concealed carry permit has been revoked. Ferguson must also avoid places where alcohol is the main business and not possess or consume any alcohol.
On Aug. 3, Ferguson and his wife, Sheryl, began arguing in a restaurant and continued to fight after returning to their home in the neighborhood of Anaheim Hills. Ferguson shot her fatally in the chest. The judge and his adult son called the police, and he texted a colleague that he shot his wife and that he would not be at work the following day, according to the court filing. Sheryl Ferguson was pronounced dead at the scene.
Jeffrey Ferguson, who has been a judge since 2015, was charged with one count of murder and weapons-related enhancements.
Sheryl Ferguson’s brother, Larry Rosen, said his “family is in shock” while speaking to reporters following the hearing Tuesday.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“My sister was a wonderful person, very caring, very selfless,” Rosen said, per the Associated Press, adding that she was an active member of the community.
A court hearing date was scheduled for Oct. 30, where the date will be set for another hearing to decide if there is sufficient evidence for Jeffrey Ferguson to stand trial.
