Less than 24 hours after Orange County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ferguson was arrested, suspected of murdering his wife, he posted $1 million bail and was released from custody.
LISTEN
While the fact that bail was an option for this case may raise some eyebrows, Orange County lawyer and legal analyst Amy Stoody told KNX News she is "Not entirely surprised that they gave him bail and that he was able to post it."
She said, "We still go by the premise that you're presumed innocent until proven otherwise." That, combined with the accused judge's age (72) and his lack of criminal history, suggests he is not a 'significant' flight risk.
According to accounts circulating among Stoody's colleagues, Judge Ferguson has been known to wear a gun in an ankle holster, and "the rumor that I've heard is that he was at dinner with his wife and his adult son. He got in a fight with her while they were having dinner and used the gun to shoot her, and then the son called 911" she said.
Stoody said the next step would be an arraignment, where Judge Ferguson will likely plead not guilty, and due to the nature of Ferguson's positions in Orange County, a judge from another county will preside over the trial.
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok
Related
Related
