Judge Rules In Favor Of Timothy Busfield Release Pending Trial

Timothy Busfield officially received a judge’s ruling on whether he’ll stay in custody in an Albuquerque, Latest Mexico jail on child sex abuse charges or be granted freedom until his trial begins.

The actor-director has remained in custody after turning himself in following an arrest warrant that was obtained attributable to allegations that he participated in inappropriate conduct with two minor children on the set of Fox’s “The Cleansing Lady.”

On Tuesday, Jan. 20, Judge David A. Murray rendered his decision to grant the “Thirtysomething” star’s release from jail after hearing statements from each the defense and the prosecution, in accordance with Deadline.

There are also a set of conditions Busfield must follow ahead of his release. He have to be present for all upcoming court hearings, however the judge declined to limit his travel out and in of Latest Mexico.

Busfield can be prohibited from having any “unsupervised contact with any minor children on this case,” with Judge Murray noting “The West Wing” star is “to not have any contact with the alleged victims or their families, and also you’re also not to debate the case with any witnesses,” per the outlet.

Addressing the prosecution’s claims of past sexual assault allegations that never resulted in any charges against Busfield, Judge Murray ruled them out.

“There are not any similar allegations involving children in his past. There’s no evidence of non-compliance with prior court orders. Slightly, this defendant self surrendered and submitted himself to this Court’s jurisdiction demonstrating compliance with the court order for his arrest,” the judge said.

Busfield’s wife, “Little House on the Prairie” star Melissa Gilbert, was present within the courtroom throughout the hearing alongside other reported members of the family and Busfield’s attorney, Larry Stein.

As Judge Murray announced that Busfield can be granted release from custody, Gilbert cried within the courtroom as he was taken away in handcuffs and ready to be released.

The actress, together with three of Busfield’s co-stars from “Thirtysomething,” wrote a passionate letter to the judge and pleaded with him to “protect” her husband and ensure his safety, while also speaking highly of his character.

“I do know Tim higher and more intimately than anything in his life ever has,” Gilbert’s letter read. The actress added that her husband “has the strongest moral compass of any human I actually have ever known. He has dedicated his spiritual self to all the time being of service to others. He starts day by day with kindness and compassion.”

“Please, please, maintain my sweet husband. As he’s my protector, I’m his, but I cannot protect him now and I believe that, greater than anything, is what is really breaking my heart, I’m counting on you to guard him for me,” her letter concluded.

In an audio recording obtained by TMZ, the 2 male minor victims were interviewed by police back in November 2024 and asked directly in the event that they were inappropriately touched by Timothy Busfield.

Within the audio, a police officer could be heard asking the boys a series of questions, including: “So, what is correct and incorrect, right? You understand nobody can touch your private areas?”

Considered one of the boys replied to those questions, telling the officer “Yeah, but he doesn’t touch those parts.” The opposite young boy added his own response, saying “No, he’s never touched me… never.”

These statements within the audio will prove to be crucial to the defense’s case, as they imagine they contradict newer claims against Busfield.

The Day by day Mail reports that Busfield has been accused of inappropriate sexual conduct with a 16-year-old girl. Per the outlet, the incident allegedly occurred while the minor was auditioning in Sacramento, California for the B Street Theatre, which is founded by Busfield.

“While auditioning for the defendant at B Street Theatre, the 16-year-old reported that (he) kissed her and put his hands down her pants and touched her privates,” the court filing read, per the outlet.

Elsewhere within the documents, Busfield is alleged to have “begged the family to not report back to law enforcement if he received therapy.” The young girl’s father, himself a therapist, allegedly agreed with Busfield’s request for therapy treatment.

Just days after he turned himself in to police after a warrant for his arrest was issued, Busfield’s long-time talent agency Modern Artists dropped him, in accordance with The Hollywood Reporter.

On Tuesday, Jan. 20, it was also announced that he shall be edited out of the upcoming Amazon MGM rom-com “You Deserve Each Other,” where he was forged as the daddy of Meghan Fahy, who stars alongside Penn Badgley, per Deadline.

Moreover, NBC decided to not air the Jan. 12 episode of “Law & Order: SVU” attributable to Busfield’s guest-starring role.