By AMY TAXIN (Associated Press)
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — A Southern California decide accused of killing his spouse texted his courtroom clerk and bailiff afterward to say he had shot her, prosecutors stated Friday as they charged him with homicide and sought new bail situations.
A courtroom submitting from prosecutors says Orange County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ferguson texted: “I just lost it. I just shot my wife. I won’t be in tomorrow. I will be in custody. I’m so sorry.”
Prosecutors additionally say that 47 weapons and greater than 26,000 rounds of ammunition have been recovered throughout a search of his residence, together with the pistol used within the taking pictures. Authorities stated the weapons have been legally owned. A rifle registered in his title isn’t accounted for, in keeping with the district legal professional’s workplace.
The taking pictures occurred after Ferguson and his spouse, Sheryl Ferguson, have been arguing at a restaurant on Aug. 3, prosecutors stated of their courtroom submitting. They continued arguing after returning to their residence within the upscale neighborhood of Anaheim Hills. The courtroom doc says the spouse stated one thing to the impact of “why don’t you point a real gun at me?” and he pulled a pistol from his ankle holster and shot her within the chest.
The doc says their grownup son referred to as 911 and stated his father had been consuming an excessive amount of and shot his mother.
Jeffrey Ferguson additionally referred to as 911 to vaguely report the taking pictures. When requested if he shot his spouse, he stated he didn’t wish to discuss it at the moment and she or he wanted paramedics.
When officers arrived, Ferguson smelled of alcohol and informed them, “Oh man I can’t believe I did this,” in keeping with the doc.
Ferguson, 72, was arrested final week. He was launched a day afterward $1 million bail and set to be arraigned on Sept. 1.
On Friday, prosecutors charged Ferguson with homicide with weapons-related enhancements. They need him to give up his passport, put on an ankle monitor and possess no alcohol or firearms.
Ferguson’s attorneys, Paul Meyer and John Barnett, issued a short assertion and declined to reply questions. “This is a tragedy for the entire Ferguson family. It was an accident and nothing more,” they stated.
Ferguson has been a decide since 2015. He handles legal instances within the Orange County metropolis of Fullerton.
He began his authorized profession within the Orange County district legal professional’s workplace in 1983 and went on to work narcotics instances, for which he received numerous awards. He served as president of the North Orange County Bar Association from 2012 to 2014.
In 2017, Ferguson was admonished by the Commission on Judicial Performance for posting a press release on Facebook a couple of judicial candidate “with knowing or reckless disregard for the truth of the statement” and for being Facebook associates with attorneys showing earlier than him in courtroom, in keeping with a duplicate of the company’s findings.
Ferguson stated on his Facebook web page that he grew up in a navy household and traveled all through Asia as a baby. He went on to attend faculty and legislation faculty in California. He and his spouse have been married in 1996.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”