A California judge, Jeffrey Ferguson, was taken into custody on Tuesday due to accusations of lying about consuming alcohol while out on bail for the alleged murder of his wife. His bail was increased to $2 million by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Eleanor J. Hunter, who also prohibited him from entering establishments serving alcohol if he can pay the bail. Judge Hunter expressed her dissatisfaction with being lied to during the proceedings.
Ferguson, who had initially been out on $1 million bail, had pleaded not guilty to the murder charges. As a condition of his previous bail, he was required to wear a GPS and alcohol monitor on his ankle, a condition that remains in place if he is able to post bail again.
An incident in late August was reported by the monitor, showing alcohol consumption. Ferguson claimed that the monitor misread due to applying hand sanitizer and medication for ankle swelling, a statement that Judge Hunter dismissed as a “ridiculous story.” Consequently, Ferguson was taken into custody and handed over to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
During the hearing, Ferguson’s attorney, Ed Welbourn, refrained from providing immediate comments. Welbourn sought less stringent options citing health concerns and argued that his client does not pose a threat to society. Prosecutor Seton Hunt also declined to comment following the hearing.
Ferguson was arrested after his wife, Sheryl Ferguson, was found shot to death last year. Prosecutors alleged that an argument between the couple escalated with Ferguson, under the influence of alcohol, retrieving a pistol and shooting his wife in the chest. Upon further investigation at Ferguson’s residence, authorities discovered 47 weapons, including the pistol used, and over 26,000 rounds of ammunition. Prior to becoming a judge, Ferguson had worked as a prosecutor in the Orange County district attorney’s office.
