California Judge Goes on Trial in Wife’s Shooting Death

Jeffrey Ferguson has been accused of murder, with prosecutors alleging intent while his defense says it was an accident.

Jeffrey Ferguson, an Orange County Superior Court judge, right, who allegedly pulled a gun from his ankle holster and fatally shot his wife, stands on trial during opening statements at the Santa Ana Courthouse in Santa Ana, Calif., on Feb. 19, 2025. Frederick M. Brown/Pool Photo via AP

Opening statements begin Feb. 19 in the trial against Orange County California Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ferguson, who is charged with killing his wife in an August 2023 shooting.

Ferguson, 74, has pled not guilty to the murder of his wife, Cheryl Ferguson. Prosecutors allege that the longtime judge, who had been drinking, retrieved a firearm from his ankle holster and shot his wife during an argument. The couple’s adult son was in the home and called 911, according to court filings.