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The ju judge reached the verdict at the second murder trial of an Orange County Judge accused of shooting his wife at the couple’s Anaheim Hills home. The ju apprentices began deliberations Monday afternoon.
It was not immediately clear when the verdict would be announced in court.
The mistial was declared at the first trial of 74-year-old Jeffrey Ferguson when the ju judge split the 11-1 in favor of a conviction of second-degree murder. The ju judge may have convicted him of second-degree murder or unwilling manslaughter.
Ferguson is accused of shooting his 65-year-old wife, Cheryl, on August 3, 2023.
The deliberations began on February 26th, with the first Ferguson trial, but after more than a week of deliberation, the ju judges were unable to reach a unanimous decision.
The prosecution’s lawyers tried to convince the ju judge that Ferguson was upset after a dispute with his wife at the restaurant. When the two returned home, Ferguson pulled out a gun and killed his wife in a tragic series of events that guaranteed a murder conviction, prosecutors said.
The defense attorney argued that the shooting was a coincidence. In an interview with NBCLA at his Anaheim Hills home after the mistial, Ferguson said he was relieved and disappointed at the same time that the ju judge had not reached the unanimous verdict.
“On the count, it was 11-1. It was a blow to my emotions, but I have no other choice,” Ferguson said.
On the day of the shooting, Ferguson and his son Philip went to an El Cholo Mexican restaurant, but according to testimony, Cheryl Ferguson left after her husband made a hand gesture that mimics a gun during the argument. Later at home, Philip Ferguson said his mother “would you like to point a real gun at me?”
Calling it the most reliable explanation of the shooting, prosecutors performed a video of his son, whom he later told police.
In response to those who claimed the murder was intentional, Ferguson argued it was an accident. He said he accidentally discharged the Glock, pulled from the ankle holster, groping and trying to put it on the messy coffee table.
“I lost her, so I’m not running away at all and she lost her life,” he told NBCLA.
Ferguson’s blood alcohol concentration was .065% when measured 7 hours after the shooting. Experts testified that at the time of shooting it was likely that the limit would be about .17% of driving, or nearly twice as high as driving.
At a press conference after the court case, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said he plans to consider some of the Ferguson cases. Ferguson, who has been on trial for nine years by an Orange County judge, testified that he may have had several drinks at lunchtime and may be drunk during the hearing.
Tully challenged the prosecutor’s debate, stating it was due to misunderstandings about how guns work. Talley pointed out how Hunt mentioned loading bullets into guns during the tests that weapons use magazines. Tully also stated the bullet pathway as the pathologist in the case testified disproves the legal theory that Ferguson’s arm is bent at a 45-degree angle.
Tully pointed to one detective’s testimony about how far the casing from the gun projectile would go if the prosecutor was fired in the theorized way. However, Talley said he was found right next to the coffee table. This was consistent with the theory of accidental shooting.
Tully also claimed that the home surveillance video also showed no flashes at the muzzle. The bullet fractured the victim’s abdomen “slightly to the left” and left the upper right side of his back.
Talley said there was no evidence that his client was angry, but he said he was trying to create peace and end the conflict.
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