Judge sets retrial date for Orange County judge who killed wife

A Los Angeles County judge has tentatively scheduled the retrial of Orange County Judge Jeffrey Ferguson to begin April 7.

Judge Eleanor J. Hunter held a telephonic hearing with attorneys Thursday following a hung jury in Ferguson's first trial.

Ferguson is accused of shooting his wife to death in August 2023 during a drunken argument about his adult son from a previous marriage. He claims the gun went off accidentally. A jury deliberated for more than 40 hours over nine days but deadlocked 11 to 1 in favor of conviction. People v. Ferguson, 23NF1975, (O.C. Super. Ct., filed Aug. 11, 2023).

After a mistrial was declared, Ferguson spoke to Inside Edition, the only media interview he has given about the shooting.

"I wasn't angry at her, I loved her," he said through tears. "We were just bickering like Lucy and Desi. I didn't murder her."

During pretrial proceedings and again when he testified at trial, Ferguson was admonished by Hunter not to cry in front of the jury. "He's got to keep control of himself," the judge told defense attorney Cameron J. Talley.

Ferguson testified at trial that he drank regularly during work hours. This admission caused the Orange County District Attorney to say he would review any cases over which Ferguson presided.