A once-respected Orange County Superior Court judge was convicted Tuesday of second-degree murder in the death of his wife—marking a shocking fall from grace for a man entrusted with upholding the law.
Jeffrey Ferguson, 74, was found guilty of killing his wife, 65-year-old Sheryl Ferguson, during a heated argument in their Anaheim Hills home in August 2023. The decision came after a previous jury failed to reach a verdict, prompting a retrial. This time, jurors deliberated just one day before handing down the conviction, which included a firearm enhancement—opening the door to a possible 40-years-to-life prison sentence. Ferguson was taken into custody immediately and will remain jailed until sentencing on June 13.
Ferguson had claimed the shooting was accidental, testifying that his firearm discharged while he attempted to place it on a coffee table. But prosecutors dismantled that narrative in court, citing inconsistencies in his testimony and highlighting statements the judge made following the incident that pointed to guilt rather than remorse.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Seton Hunt emphasized that Ferguson’s behavior after the shooting—including spontaneous remarks and a lack of reference to any injury that could have caused an accidental discharge—undermined his credibility. Prosecutors also pointed to Ferguson’s shifting story between the first and second trials, questioning whether his account was tailored to avoid responsibility.
The argument between the couple reportedly stemmed from a dispute involving Ferguson’s adult son from a previous marriage. Witnesses described escalating tension at dinner earlier that evening, with Ferguson allegedly making a gun-like hand gesture toward his wife.
The defense, however, argued the shooting was a tragic accident, not an act of malice. Orange County Attorney Cameron Talley criticized the prosecution’s approach as inconsistent and maintained that physical evidence, such as the bullet trajectory and shell casing location, supported Ferguson’s version of events.
Talley also attacked the reliability of key witness testimony, especially from Ferguson’s son, Phillip, pointing out discrepancies between his initial police statements and court testimony. He framed Ferguson’s post-shooting comments as emotional expressions of regret, not criminal admissions.
Despite those efforts, the jury sided with the prosecution, concluding the former judge acted with recklessness that led to his wife’s death. It’s a devastating case that reinforces the principle that no one is above the law—whether they wear a judge’s robe or not.
