Timothy Busfield, the Emmy-winning actor from “The West Wing” and “Thirtysomething,” won a legal battle in his child sex abuse case.
A New Mexico judge ruled on Tuesday too release Busfield on his own recognizance while he awaits trial. The 68-year-old actor-director faces allegations of sexually abusing two child actors during the filming of the Fox drama “The Cleaning Lady.” His wife,Melissa Gilbert of “Little House on the Prairie,” attended the hearing and cried after the judge’s decision.
“Thank you, God,” she said.
New Mexico District Court Judge David A. Murphy acknowledged the allegations are “inherently dangerous” and prosecutors demonstrated “Mr. Busfield does pose a danger to the safety of others.” However, he stated it’s “challenging for the court to put too much weight into the allegations as they’ve not been vetted by the judicial system.”
Murphy based his decision on letters from busfield’s friends and family, supporting affidavits, and “the lack of a pattern involving children in this case.”
“I don’t find that there’s been sufficient presentation that this defendant may commit new crimes pending trial. There’s not evidence of a pattern of criminal conduct,” Murphy explained. “There are no similar allegations involving children in his past. There’s no evidence of noncompliance with prior court orders.”
Busfield will be supervised by a pretrial services officer in Albuquerque. He can travel freely but must report to the officer. He’s prohibited from owning firearms or weapons and from using alcohol or drugs. The judge also ordered him to avoid contact with the alleged victims and their families,and to refrain from discussing the case publicly.
