Southern California Judge Arrested in Connection with Wife’s Killing
A Southern California judge has been arrested in connection with the shooting death of his wife, the authorities confirmed on Friday. Jeffrey Ferguson, 72, a judge at Orange County Superior Court, was taken into custody on Thursday and is being held on $1 million bail at the Anaheim Police Department’s detention facility.
According to the Anaheim Police Department, officers responded to a shooting at the couple’s home in Anaheim on Thursday evening. Inside the residence, they discovered the lifeless body of Judge Ferguson’s wife, Sheryl Ferguson, 65, who had suffered a fatal gunshot wound.
The circumstances leading up to the shooting remain unclear, and authorities have not yet made any formal charges against Judge Ferguson. The police have not yet commented on the incident.
Photographs taken at the scene show the couple’s beige house, surrounded by palm trees and cordoned off with crime scene tape. Additionally, an image captured an official holding two firearms near the premises.
Following his arrest, Judge Ferguson posted bail on Friday and has since been released, as per Orange County Sheriff’s Department records.
Judge Ferguson has been a prominent figure in Orange County’s legal community for many years. He obtained his law degree from Western State College of Law in Irvine, California in 1982 and began serving as a county deputy district attorney the following year. Prior to that, he graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences and social ecology.
Throughout his career, Ferguson earned recognition as the Orange County Narcotics Officers Association’s prosecutor of the year on four occasions, according to his biography. In 2014, he was elected as a judge at the Superior Court of Orange County, having held various positions including the president of the North Orange County Bar Association from 2012 to 2014.
However, the judge has faced disciplinary action in the past. In 2017, the California Commission on Judicial Performance admonished him for posting a statement on Facebook that displayed “knowing or reckless disregard for the truth.” He was also reprimanded for being Facebook friends with attorneys who regularly appeared before him in court, without disclosing the connections.
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office and the Superior Court of Orange County have not yet responded to requests for comment on the situation.
As investigations into the tragic incident continue, friends, colleagues, and the community await further updates on the case.