A Southern California decide accused of killing his spouse texted his courtroom clerk and bailiff admitting to the killing, prosecutors stated on Friday as they charged him with homicide and weapon possession.
The decide, Jeffrey Ferguson, 72, of Orange County Superior Court, was arrested on Aug. 3 after cops discovered his spouse, Sheryl Ferguson, 65, useless from a gunshot wound contained in the couple’s dwelling in Anaheim, Calif.
On Friday, prosecutors charged Judge Ferguson with homicide, private discharge of a firearm inflicting nice bodily harm and demise, and private use of a firearm, in keeping with a felony criticism.
According to California’s Constitution, a decide who’s charged with a felony is disqualified from performing as a decide. A decide convicted of a felony will result in the decide’s elimination from workplace.
The capturing got here after an argument the Fergusons had at a restaurant that night and that continued at their dwelling, in keeping with courtroom paperwork.
At dinner, Judge Ferguson mimicked capturing Mrs. Ferguson along with his fingers, courtroom paperwork stated, and as soon as dwelling, Mrs. Ferguson stated “words to the effect of: ‘why don’t you point a real gun at me?’” in keeping with the paperwork.
Shortly after, Judge Ferguson pulled a pistol from an ankle holster and shot her within the chest at shut vary.
The Fergusons’ grownup son, who had been along with his mother and father that night, referred to as 911 and reported that his father had been ingesting an excessive amount of and shot his mom, in keeping with courtroom paperwork.
Judge Ferguson additionally referred to as 911 to report the capturing however when requested if he shot his spouse, the decide disregarded the query and requested for an ambulance, the criticism stated.
Afterward, in keeping with courtroom paperwork, Judge Ferguson texted his courtroom clerk and bailiff saying: “I just lost it. I just shot my wife. I won’t be in tomorrow. I will be in custody. I’m so sorry.”
When officers arrived, they discovered Mrs. Ferguson fatally shot in the lounge. Judge Ferguson smelled of alcohol, the courtroom paperwork stated, and he was nonetheless sporting the ankle holster, which was empty.
“Oh man, I can’t believe I did this,” he instructed officers, in keeping with courtroom paperwork.
Prosecutors additionally stated that 47 weapons, together with the homicide weapon, and greater than 26,000 rounds of ammunition have been present in a search of Judge Ferguson’s dwelling after the capturing.
Officials stated the weapons have been legally owned, in keeping with courtroom paperwork. One rifle registered in his identify was unaccounted for, they stated.
Judge Ferguson posted $1 million bail after his arrest, however prosecutors are actually looking for new situations, together with surrendering his passport, having him put on an ankle monitor and proscribing contact along with his son, who witnessed the killing.
In a press release to The Associated Press, Judge Ferguson’s attorneys, Paul Meyer and John Barnett, stated, “This is a tragedy for the entire Ferguson family.”
“It was an accident and nothing more,” the lawyer stated.
Judge Ferguson had been a member of Orange County’s authorized group for years.
He obtained his legislation diploma from Western State College of Law in Irvine, Calif., in 1982. A yr later, he went to work for the county district legal professional and was elected as a Superior Court decide in 2014.
While he was honored a number of instances by varied legislation teams through the years, his profession was marred by admonishments from the California Commission on Judicial Performance.
In 2017, the fee admonished him for posting a press release on Facebook a few candidate for judicial workplace with “knowing or reckless disregard for the truth of the statement,” in keeping with fee paperwork.
He was additionally admonished by the fee that yr for “being Facebook friends with attorneys who were appearing regularly before him in court,” in keeping with fee paperwork.
Source: www.nytimes.com