SANTA ANA, Calif.—A Southern California judge charged with the murder of his wife took the stand Monday to testify in his own defense, telling the courtroom he accidentally shot her with the gun he carried in an ankle holster.
Orange County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ferguson, 74, told a packed courtroom that he and his wife of 27 years, Sheryl, had been arguing about the lack of gratitude she felt his adult son from a prior marriage showed about financial support the couple had provided. Ferguson, who has pleaded not guilty, said he never intended to kill his wife.
“I didn’t mean to kill her,” he said. “It was an accident.”…