Orange County Judge Pleads Not Guilty in Accidental Shooting of Wife
LOS ANGELES — On Tuesday, Orange County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ferguson entered a plea of not guilty in a Los Angeles courtroom. He was charged with murdering his wife in their Anaheim Hills home. However, his defense attorneys argue that the killing was an accident.
During the arraignment, Ferguson’s lawyers stated that they believed the shooting to be unintentional. They emphasized that there was no intent to kill and that there was no malice involved. They expressed confidence that a jury from Orange County, where the trial will take place, would agree with their perspective.
As part of his bail conditions, Judge Ricardo Ocampo granted prosecutors’ requests for Ferguson to wear a GPS monitoring device and abstain from alcohol. Additionally, he will be subject to searches. Prosecutors had also requested that Ferguson not have any contact with his 22-year-old son, who allegedly witnessed the shooting. However, Ocampo left the decision regarding contact with the son up to Ferguson.
Ferguson, 72, was arrested on August 3 after fatally shooting his wife, Sheryl, with a Glock 40-caliber pistol that he had pulled from his ankle holster. According to prosecutors, the couple had been arguing that night, and Ferguson had mimicked pointing a finger at Sheryl earlier. Moments before the shooting, Sheryl had reportedly told Judge Ferguson, Why don’t you point a real gun at me?
A tentative date for the preliminary hearing has been set for October 30 in Los Angeles.
As this case progresses, it will be interesting to see how the defense presents their argument that the shooting was accidental. With the court appearances scheduled in Los Angeles but the trial set to take place in Orange County, the geographical context raises questions about how this case will unfold. The tragic loss of a life within a seemingly mundane domestic dispute serves as a reminder of the volatility in everyday situations and the devastating consequences that can arise. The outcome of this trial will undoubtedly have significant implications, especially within the legal community, as it involves a judge who found himself on the wrong side of the law. The prosecution and defense will now gather evidence, build their cases, and prepare to present their arguments before an Orange County jury.
