An Orange County Superior Court judge, named Jeffrey Malcolm Ferguson, was charged for murder after killing his wife in an altercation at their house. His commitment for bringing swift justice to criminals was apparent, as he immediately texted two of his coworkers to confess to the act. The murder part was not great. But his refusal to make an exception for himself likely made him a great judge in his prime.
The story that Ferguson and his son both told was that he was drinking, and began arguing with his wife. He even threatened to shoot her at an earlier point in their fight. Then when his son went to call the police, the judge texted his court clerk and bailiff to share the news. The message he sent reads, “I just lost it. I just shot my wife. I won’t be in tomorrow, I will be in custody. I’m so sorry.”
I’ve had a few bosses who would likely praise the guy’s communication abilities and forward thinking. Thank god he wasn’t able to go to work the next day. Imagine a murderer giving strict punishment for unpaid parking tickets. There isn’t a criminal in the world who would be able to handle that level of hypocrisy from an elected judge.
Imagine being the person who received that text. This judge is a seventy-two year old man with a fatal temper. I’d imagine the guys who stand next to him in court all day aren’t his best friends. I bet he was anticipating messages of worry, and maybe a bit of understanding. I’m guessing that all he did was ignite some group chats, and cause a few more 911 calls.
I don’t know if judges take some sort of oath like cops do. What I do know, is this guys honesty to a fault somehow gives me more faith in whatever code they have.
