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Who is Jeffrey Ferguson? US Judge who shot his wife dead, pleads not guilty

Jeffrey Ferguson is a 72 -year-old judge on Orange County Superior Court, California who shot his wife dead. Ferguson is…

Who is Jeffrey Ferguson? US Judge who shot his wife dead, pleads not guilty

Jeffrey Ferguson is a 72 -year-old judge on Orange County Superior Court, California who shot his wife dead.

Ferguson is facing accusations of fatally shooting his wife, under the influence of substance. He carried a revolver he kept in an ankle holster. He had dozens of firearms and 26,000 rounds of ammunition inside, the police found.

“Well, I guess I’m done for a while.” he said when the police arrested him. He smelled heavily of alcohol when this happened.

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Ferguson and his wife, Sheryl, fought over supper at a restaurant nearby, according to testimony given in court in Los Angeles.

In the argument on August 3, Ferguson “pointed his finger at his wife in a manner mimicking a firearm,” Orange County Deputy District Attorney Christopher Alex testified.

Sheryl Ferguson, 65, continued the altercation at her house and screamed, “Why don’t you point a real gun at me?”

Ferguson then “retrieved his pistol from his ankle holster and shot” her once in the chest from a short distance.

Ferguson called up 911 and informed the dispatcher that he shot his wife, and requested a paramedic.

He informed the dispatcher that he didn’t want to talk about the situation right then, when they inquired if he had fired the gun.

Ferguson texted his bailiff and court clerk as soon as he hung up the phone to say: “I just lost it. My wife was just killed. I won’t be there on Monday. I’ll be held captive”.

During a home check, authorities discovered 47 legally owned weapons.

Bail to Jeffrey Ferguson:

Ferguson, a judge since 2015, appeared in court on Tuesday and refuted any accusations of murder.

Outside of court, attorney Paul Meyer said, “We want to be clear that this was an unintentional, accidental shooting and not a crime.”

Ferguson is out on bail but has received an order not to consume alcohol. The court has asked him to reappear again on October 30.

Ferguson has a $1 million bail and is free. Authorities discovered 47 guns at his Anaheim home, including the pistol used in the shooting, along with more than 26,000 rounds of ammunition, according to prosecutors, who are now asking for further bail terms to guarantee he doesn’t run and to safeguard public safety. Although a rifle registered in his name is still missing, the firearms that he owns are legitimate.

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