John Jefferson
A California judge accused of killing his wife is still raking in his nearly $250,000 salary, despite being held behind bars.
Orange County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ferguson, 74, allegedly killed his wife last year in Anaheim Hills, according to KTLA. He was charged with multiple felonies in connection with the Aug. 3, 2023, fatal shooting of 65-year-old Sheryl Ferguson. He is being held in Los Angeles County at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility.
Ferguson, who was a prosecutor before he became a judge in 2015, was initially released on $1 million bail but is now back in jail after he allegedly lied about drinking alcohol while awaiting trial.
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The judge made more than $220,000 in salary in 2023, with an additional $22,000 in benefits, according to The Orange County Register. The $242,000 compensation continued to be paid to him even after he allegedly shot and killed his wife.
He faces a felony murder charge with two felony enhancements for personal use of a firearm and discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury and death. If convicted on all counts, he could face 40 years to life in prison.
Ferguson has pleaded not guilty, but prosecutors said he confessed to the killing when texting with his court clerk and bailiff.
“I just shot my wife. I won’t be in tomorrow. I will be in custody. I’m so sorry,” Ferguson allegedly wrote.
After Ferguson and his wife had an argument at a restaurant, the two returned home and continued the argument before he pulled a pistol from his ankle holster and shot her in the chest, according to prosecutors. The couple’s adult son claimed his father was drunk at the time.
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The judge continues to receive his salary because the California Constitution states that a judge facing felony charges is disqualified from acting as a judge but that the change in his judicial status does not include loss of salary, the Orange County Register reported.
A judge would only be suspended without pay after a felony conviction.
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