Despite being incarcerated, a California judge convicted of killing his wife continues to earn over $250,000 each year.
Orange County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ferguson, 74, is accused of killing his wife in Anaheim Hills last year, according to KTLA. He was charged with various charges in the fatal shooting of Sheryl Ferguson, 65, on August 3, 2023. He is being imprisoned at Los Angeles County’s Twin Towers Correctional Facility.
Ferguson, who was a prosecutor before becoming a judge in 2015, was initially released on $1 million bail but is now back in custody after reportedly lying about drinking alcohol while awaiting trial.
According to The Orange County Register, the judge’s compensation in 2023 was more than $220,000, plus an additional $22,000 in benefits. Even after he allegedly shot and killed his wife, he continued to get $242,000 in compensation.
He is charged with felony murder, with two felony enhancements for personal use of a firearm and discharge of a firearm resulting in serious bodily injury and death. If convicted on all charges, he could face 40 to life in jail.
Ferguson has pled not guilty, but prosecutors claim he confessed to the killing while texting with his court clerk and bailiff.
“I have just shot my wife. I will not be in tomorrow. I’ll be in custody. “I’m very sorry,” Ferguson allegedly wrote.
Ferguson and his wife had a disagreement at a restaurant, and when they got home, he grabbed a revolver from his ankle holster and shot her in the chest, according to authorities. The couple’s adult son stated that his father was inebriated at the time.
The judge continues to collect his income since the California Constitution specifies that a judge facing felony charges is banned from serving as a judge, but the change in his judicial status does not result in a wage loss, according to the Orange County Register.
A judge would only be suspended without pay if convicted of a felony.
