Orange County Judge Jeffrey Ferguson pleaded not guilty in the shooting death of his wife. Alex Rozier reports for the NBC4 News on Aug. 15, 2023.
An Orange County judge charged with murder in the shooting death of his 65-year-old wife at their Anaheim Hills home pleaded not guilty Tuesday in a Los Angeles courtroom.
Jeffrey Ferguson, 72, is charged with one felony count of murder and one felony enhancement of personal use of a firearm and one felony enhancement of discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury and death. Ferguson faces a maximum sentence of 40 years to life if convicted on all counts.
He did not respond to questions Tuesday morning when he arrived at the courthouse flanked by attorneys.
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During a bail hearing in court, it was determined Ferguson will remain free on bond, with a Los Angeles judge approving release conditions including a prohibition on alcohol consumption and a requirement that Ferguson surrender his passport.
Ferguson's attorneys said the shooting was an accident.
"For 40 years, Judge Ferguson has protected and served the citizens of Orange County," attorney John Barnett said. "We expect when they decide his fate they will agree this was an accident. Nothing more."
Larry Rosen, the victim's brother, called his sister a unifying force in the family.
"She was the glue that held the family together," Larry Rosen said. "My sister was a wonderful person. Very caring, very selfless.
Rosen said the family's priority the couple's 22-year-old son.
"It's a tragedy for me. I can’t even fathom what he's going through right now," Rosen said. "He's probably me times 10."
Another court hearing has been set for Oct. 30, when a date will be set for a pre-trial hearing to determine if there is enough evidence for Ferguson to stand trial.
Prosecutors on Friday requested to have the hearing moved up to Tuesday in the North Justice Center in Fullerton so
they could seek restrictions on Ferguson's bail. Orange County Superior Court Presiding Judge Maria Hernandez moved to reassign the case to Los Angeles Superior Court.
Police responded at about 8 p.m. Aug. 3 to the couple's home following a report of a shooting at the residence. Officers found 65-year-old Sheryl Ferguson suffering from at least one gunshot wound inside the home, police said.
She died at the scene.
The couple's adult son called 911 to report the shooting. A court filing from prosecutors said Ferguson texted his court clerk and bailiff minutes after the killing: “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 was arrested at the location in the 8500 block of East Canyon Vista Drive. He posted bond and was released from custody the next day.
County prosecutors filed a bail motion last week seeking non-monetary bail conditions, including that Ferguson be required to surrender his passport.
"Among the People’s concerns is the fact that a .22 rifle legally registered to Ferguson remains unaccounted for despite police recovering 47 other weapons – including rifles, shotguns, and handguns, and more than 26,000 rounds of ammunition – from his home during the execution of a search warrant," according to a statement from the Orange County District Attorney's office. "Another rifle, initially missed by police, was subsequently located in the home and turned over to police by defense counsel, but the whereabouts of the .22 rifle remain unknown."
Neighbors said the couple had lived at the home for years.
The shooting happened after Ferguson and his wife argued at a restaurant on Aug. 3, the Orange County district attorney's office said in the court filing. The argument continued when they returned home, where his wife said something to the effect of “why don’t you point a real gun at me?” and he pulled a pistol from his ankle holster and shot her in the chest, the court document said.
When officers arrived, Ferguson smelled of alcohol and told them, “Oh man I can't believe I did this,” according to the document.
Ferguson has been a judge in Orange County Superior Court since 2015. He began is legal career in 1983 as an Orange County Deputy District Attorney. He was named prosecutor of the year four times by the Orange County Narcotics Officers Association.
Ferguson earned a bachelor's degree from UC Irvine and his law degree from Western State College of Law in Irvine.
Ferguson’s attorneys, Paul Meyer and John Barnett, issued a brief statement.
“This is a tragedy for the entire Ferguson family. It was an accident and nothing more,” they said.
