California judge shoots wife during argument while watching 'Breaking Bad'

A Southern California judge who fatally shot his wife during an argument at their home is now on trial for murder, with prosecutors arguing the killing was intentional, while his defence maintains it was an accident.
Orange County superior court judge Jeffrey Ferguson, 74, was captured on

police body-camera footage

confessing to the shooting of his wife,

Sheryl Ferguson

, on August 3, 2023. "I killed her," Ferguson is heard saying in the footage shown to jurors on Wednesday. "I did it."
Prosecutor Seton Hunt told the court that Ferguson, who had been drinking that night, first argued with his wife over finances during dinner at a restaurant before the dispute continued at their home in Anaheim Hills. As the couple watched 'Breaking Bad' with their adult son, Ferguson allegedly made a gun-hand gesture toward Sheryl. She reportedly responded by telling him to point a real gun at her, after which Ferguson pulled out a loaded weapon from his ankle holster and shot her, Hunt said.
Defence attorney Cameron J Talley does not dispute that Ferguson fired the gun but contends the shooting was not intentional. Ferguson, who has pleaded not guilty, is expected to testify later in the trial.

After the shooting, both Ferguson and his son called 911. The judge also sent a message to his court clerk and bailiff, reading. "I just lost it. I just shot my wife. I won't be in tomorrow. I will be in custody. I'm so sorry," according to prosecutors.
Bodycam footage played in court showed Ferguson in handcuffs outside his home, swearing and asking officers if his wife was still alive. He is heard lamenting that his actions would cause his family to hate him and comparing himself to the violent criminals he once prosecuted.
His son, Phillip Ferguson, testified that his father had previously taught him firearm safety, including the importance of never pointing a gun at someone. He said after the shooting, he jumped over a couch, took the gun from his father, and attempted to save his mother by performing CPR.
"As I was jumping over the couch, I heard her say, 'He shot me,'" Phillip recounted.
Authorities later found 47 firearms and more than 26,000 rounds of ammunition in Ferguson's home. Prosecutors argue that his extensive experience with firearms contradicts any claim that the shooting was accidental.
Ferguson, who was elected as an Orange County judge in 2012, was initially released on $1 million bail in 2023 but was re-arrested after violating his bail conditions by consuming alcohol. He was later freed again on a $2 million bond.
A former prosecutor, Ferguson spent decades handling narcotics cases and received multiple awards for his work. However, his judicial career has not been without controversy—he was admonished in 2017 for making misleading statements about a judicial candidate on Facebook and maintaining social media friendships with attorneys who appeared before him in court.
Under California law, a judge facing felony charges can continue receiving a salary but cannot preside over cases.