LOS ANGELES: With 47 guns and 26,000 rounds of ammo at home, a California judge allegedly killed her wife while intoxicated and carrying a revolver concealed in his ankle holster before sending a colleague a text saying, “I won’t be in tomorrow. I shall be held in detention,” a court was informed on Tuesday.
When police arrived at Judge Jeffrey Ferguson’s home to find his wife dead from a gunshot wound to the chest, the court was informed that he had dozens of firearms and 26,000 rounds of ammunition inside. When arrested, 72-year-old Ferguson, who serves on the Orange County Superior Court, allegedly smelled heavily of alcohol and replied, “Well, I guess I’m done for a while.”
Ferguson and his wife, Sheryl, reportedly started arguing over dinner at a restaurant close to their opulent Anaheim suburb house. This was revealed in court in Los Angeles. Deputy District Attorney Christopher Alex for Orange County testified in court that during the argument on August 3, the judge “pointed his finger at his wife in a manner mimicking a firearm.” At home, Sheryl Ferguson, 65, resumed the dispute, saying, “Why don’t you point a real gun at me?” Alex stated. Ferguson then “retrieved his pistol from his ankle holster and shot” her in the chest from a short distance.
Ferguson told the operator his wife had been shot when he called 911 and requested an ambulance. According to Alex, when a dispatcher questioned if he had fired the gun, the man replied that he did not want to talk about it right then.
Ferguson texted his court clerk and bailiff when he finished the call: “I just lost it. I recently killed my wife. Tomorrow, I’m not coming in. My detention is scheduled. Alex apologized profusely. There were 47 lawfully owned guns discovered during a check of the home. When he appeared in court on Tuesday, Ferguson, a judge since 2015, denied having killed anyone.
Attorney Paul Meyer stated outside of court: “We want to be clear that this was an unintentional, accidental shooting and not a crime.” Ferguson was granted bail and told not to consume alcohol. On October 30, he is anticipated to make another court appearance.
