SANTA ANA, Calif. – A Southern California judge convicted of second-degree murder for fatally shooting his wife after the couple had been arguing is scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday.

Orange County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ferguson faces a maximum potential sentence of 40 years to life in prison. The 74-year-old has been jailed since a jury found him guilty in April of murder and felony gun enhancements.

Prosecutors said the long-time judge and former criminal prosecutor pulled a gun from his ankle holster in August 2023 and fired the fatal shot after he had been drinking and arguing with his wife over family finances; the argument began at a restaurant and continued later while watching “Breaking Bad” on television in their Anaheim Hills home.

Ferguson, who presided over cr

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