An Orange County Superior Court judge was sentenced Wednesday to 35 years to life in prison for fatally shooting his wife during a prolonged argument at their Anaheim Hills home.

Judge Jeffrey Ferguson, 74, was convicted in an April retrial of second-degree murder for killing 65-year-old Sheryl Ferguson on Aug. 3, 2023. Jurors also found true a sentence-enhancing gun allegation.

A previous jury deadlocked 11-1 in favor of a second-degree murder conviction, prompting the retrial.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Eleanor Hunter — who was brought in to oversee the case because of Ferguson’s position on the Orange County bench — denied a defense motion for a new trial on Wednesday before handing down the prison sentence. Defense attorneys Frances Prizzia and Cameron Talley had argued for a

See Full Page