The prosecution alleges that Judge Ferguson purposely fired the gunshot that killed his wife during a heated argument in front of their adult son at their home. But Ferguson testified that he accidentally fired the gunshot after his bad shoulder gave out while he was placing the firearm on a coffee table and his finger slipped onto the trigger.

Jurors considering the fate of an Orange County Superior Court judge accused of fatally shooting his wife in their Anaheim Hills home were unable to decide on a potential second-degree murder charge Monday.

The lawyer for a Southern California judge has acknowledged that his client fired the deadly shot that killed his wife, but he contends it was an accident.

Orange County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ferguson — who is standing trial for allegedly shooting and killing his wife, Sheryl Ferguson — testified that he had shot her by “accident” after the pair had gotten into an argument earlier in the night.

Judge said the Sheriff’s Department and the district attorney’s office engaged in “a level of recklessness that bordered on bad faith.”

Jurors in the trial of an Orange County Superior Court judge accused of fatally shooting his wife in their Anaheim Hills home are scheduled Wednesday to deliberate for the sixth day after re-hearing testimony from the defendant.