Orange County, Calif. judge accused of shooting wife to face trial for murder

Orange County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ferguson will stand trial for the alleged murder of his wife, Sheryl Ferguson.

According to the Associated Press, the decision was made after a preliminary hearing before Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Eleanor J. Hunter on Thursday, June 20. Hunter determined there was enough evidence for the case to proceed.

Ferguson has previously been charged with one count of murder, one count of personal use of a firearm and one count of personal use of a firearm , and one count of personal use of a firearm causing serious bodily injury and death after police discovered his 65-year-old wife. died at their home on August 3, 2023, according to a press release.

According to court records previously reviewed by PEOPLE, on the night of Sheryl's death, the two had an alcohol-fueled argument that began at a restaurant and continued for more than an hour when the couple returned from dinner.

After allegedly pointing her fingers “in a way that imitates a gun,” Sheryl allegedly said, “Why don't you point a real gun at me.” »

According to court records, he then pulled a loaded .40 caliber pistol from his ankle holster and shot her “at point blank range” through “the center chest.” The alleged incident was witnessed by their adult son, who called 911 shortly after 8 a.m. p.m.

According to The Los Angeles TimesAt Thursday's hearing, Officer Joshua Juntilla of the Anaheim Police Department testified that as officers attempted to revive Sheryl, Ferguson “let out a string of expletives” before saying, “What have I done?” -I do? My son will hate me forever. Can you have my son came here and punched me in the face? I deserve it.

In a statement to PEOPLE, Ferguson's attorney, T. Edward Welbourn, told PEOPLE that “this was a terribly tragic event for the entire Ferguson family, including Judge Ferguson.”

“Sheryl is and was the love of his life and he would never do anything intentional to harm or cause her harm. What happened that evening was an unfortunate accident, not murder. Judge Ferguson maintains his innocence and looks forward to the truth coming,” the statement continued.

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Jeffrey is currently free on $1 million bail and is expected to be due July 5, according to the Associated Press.

If you are a victim of domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or go to thehotline.org. All calls are free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.