A murder charge has been brought against Orange County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ferguson, who pleaded not guilty on Friday. The incident occurred in their Anaheim Hills home last August, where he allegedly shot and killed his wife during an argument.
Ferguson’s case is being heard in Los Angeles because of his connections to the Orange County court. He had already been instructed to stand trial in this matter.
He is currently out on bond. A pretrial hearing has been set for September 20th.
Ferguson has been charged with murder, along with sentencing enhancements for the use of a firearm resulting in death. A man is facing accusations of murdering his wife, Sheryl, on August 3, 2023, at their residence in Anaheim Hills.
Ferguson was apprehended by officers from the Anaheim Police Department after they received a distress call regarding a shooting incident at his residence on East Canyon Vista Drive. The arrest took place shortly after 8 p.m. on August 3rd. According to Anaheim Police Sgt. Jonathan McClintock, officers discovered Sheryl Ferguson, the judge’s wife, inside the home with at least one gunshot wound.
Unfortunately, Sheryl Ferguson was pronounced dead at the scene. Jeffrey Ferguson was released on bail the following day.
Last year, Deputy District Attorney Christopher Alex stated in a bail motion that Ferguson fatally shot his wife in the living room of their home in Anaheim.
The prosecutor claimed that the judge utilized a firearm, specifically a 40-caliber pistol, which he retrieved from his ankle holster. He fired the gun at her from a short distance. He did it while under the influence. His grown son was present during the murder.
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Jeffrey Ferguson, originally from Oakland, graduated from UC Irvine in 1973 with a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences and social ecology. In 1982, he completed his law degree at Western State College of Law. The next year, he embarked on his legal career at the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. He eventually rose to the position of senior prosecutor, specializing in the Major Narcotics Enforcement Team.
He served as the president of the North Orange County Bar Association from 2012 to 2014. He has been honored with the Prosecutor of the Year award by the Orange County Narcotics Officers Association on four separate occasions. In 2015, he assumed the role of a judge as per ABC-7 News.
In 2017, he faced criticism from the state Commission on Judicial Performance for comments he made on Facebook regarding a prosecutor who was running for a judicial position. Additionally, concerns were raised about his connections with three defense attorneys who had cases before him, as he maintained a “friends” status with them.
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