Timothy Busfield, the Emmy award-winning actor known for his roles in The West Wing, Field of Dreams, and Thirtysomething, has been granted release order from jail. This determination followed a detention hearing related to charges of child sex abuse. Albuquerque police issued a warrant for his arrest on behalf of the city’s police department earlier this month. The authorities charged him with two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and a count of child abuse. Busfield is under serious charges for allegedly sexually touching a person under the age of 16. These allegations surfaced as he was working on the set of hit television show The Cleaning Lady.
The judge laughed along at this absurdity, but the hearing ended with that same judge granting Busfield’s release. He can only be monitored by a pretrial service located in Albuquerque and is allowed to leave the state to return home. Normally, Busfield would be held without bond during his initial appearance in court. His lawyers say that the claims only came about after the boys were cut from the production. They argue this indicates a monetary incentive underlying the allegations.
Busfield has publicly denied the allegations. In a video released shortly before he turned himself in, he referred to the charges as fabricated lies. His legal team emphasized that his “unequivocal denial is materially different from a mere absence of disclosure.” 347 They all submitted letters vouching for his character. Further, they indicated that he had passed an independent polygraph test, although again it’s worth noting that the court retains discretion ultimately over the admissibility of such tests.
Savannah Brandenburg-Koch, also representing the alleged victims, made the point that boys’ claims are not only credible. She stated, “The boys’ allegations are supported by medical findings and by their therapist. Their accounts were specific and not exaggerated.” She had some especially biting criticisms of the effectiveness of GPS monitoring. It wouldn’t prevent any contact with children or witnesses they pointed out were involved in the case, she argued.
As the case continues, Busfield’s legal team contends that these allegations should be viewed as incredible on their face. They think the claims come from hidden agendas. In fact, they say, the timing of these accusations makes them highly suspicious. They argue that fiscal retaliation plays a major role in shaping the complaints.