Calif. Superior Court judge found guilty of fatally shooting wife during drunken dispute over money

SANTA ANA, Calif. (TCN) -- A Superior Court judge has been convicted of killing his wife during a drunken argument over money.

According to an April 22 news release from the Orange County District Attorney's Office, a jury found Judge Jeffrey Ferguson guilty of one felony county of murder, as well as one felony enhancement of personal use of a firearm and one felony enhancement of discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury or death. He faces up to 40 years to life in prison.

On the evening of Aug. 3, 2023, Jeffrey Ferguson's adult son called 911 to report that "his mother had been shot after she told his father 'Why don't you point a real gun at me?'" Ferguson had allegedly used his fingers to simulate pointing a gun at his wife, 65-year-old Sheryl Ferguson, during an argument at a local Mexican restaurant shortly before the shooting.

Anaheim Police responded to the Ferguson home, where they discovered Sheryl Ferguson suffering from a gunshot wound, and she was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Prosecutors said after shooting his wife, the defendant didn't help the victim. Instead, he reportedly watched television in the living room and texted his court bailiff and clerk, "I just lost it. I just shot my wife. I won't be in tomorrow. I will be in custody. I'm so sorry."

According to the district attorney's office, the couple's son "tackled his father to wrestle the gun away from him after the shooting," and he tried performing CPR on his mother.

Jeffrey Ferguson was released on $1 million bail the following day. However, in September 2024, his bail was revoked, and he was taken back into custody for violating the terms of his release and consuming alcohol. A judge concluded that he lied about consuming alcohol, but the defendant was released again after posting a $2 million bond.

According to the district attorney's office, since 2015, Ferguson has served as a Superior Court judge in Orange County. He began working as a prosecutor in the district attorney's office in 1983.

During a search warrant, police reportedly found 48 weapons in Ferguson's home, including rifles, shotguns, handguns, and more than 26,000 rounds of ammunition.

In a statement, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said, "The second he pulled the trigger and killed his wife Judge Jeffrey Ferguson knew he was just like the violent criminals he has sent to prison and left his son to desperately try to pump the life into his dying mother’s body while he went outside to text his friends."

Joshua Ritter has been covering the case on True Crime News The Sidebar Podcast.

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