In a groundbreaking legal decision, Jeffrey Ferguson, an ex-judge from Southern California, was recently convicted of second-degree murder. He had recently retaliated against his wife of 30 years by fatally shooting her during an argument in their home. The jury reached that verdict in a trial that took place in the heart of Los Angeles County. This site, radically different from Ferguson’s courtroom in Orange County, where Ferguson oversaw criminal courtrooms until the 2023 incident, lies about ten miles away.
The shooting took place when Ferguson, 74, and his wife, Sheryl were home watching television and were having an argument that became loud. Ferguson stipulated to all but one element of murder, meaning he didn’t deny that he pulled the trigger, just that it was intended.
“I just lost it. I just shot my wife. I won’t be in tomorrow. I will be in custody. I’m deeply, deeply sorry,” he said after the incident.
This trial was not Ferguson’s first legal battle over this issue. In March, a first jury also failed to reach a unanimous decision, leading to a mistrial. To avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest, the case was assigned to a Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Eleanor J. Hunter.
Ferguson got his start as a prosecutor in the district attorney’s office in 1983. He subsequently was appointed to the bench in 2015 after an extensive and stellar career. He was a lead narcotics prosecutor and was awarded several honors for his service over the years.
When investigating Ferguson’s house following the shooting incident, police noticed something alarming. They discovered a concerning stash of weapons that featured 47 guns and more than 26,000 rounds of bullets, too. This evidence raised additional concerns about his ability to use deadly force properly.
The jury had just made its decision, and Ferguson was handcuffed and remanded into custody. This was a stunning reversal in the career of a man once known as one of the most powerful legal operators in the country.