ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Emmy Award-winning actor Timothy Busfield was ordered held without bond Wednesday at his first court appearance in Albuquerque, one day after turning himself in on charges he allegedly touched two minor children on the set of a television series he was directing in New Mexico. A judge said a detention hearing will be scheduled within five business days to determine whether Busfield remains in custody pending trial.
Prosecutors are seeking to keep Busfield in pretrial custody, citing what they described in a court filing as a documented pattern of sexual misconduct, abuse of authority and grooming behavior spanning two decades. Busfield, who is married to actor Melissa Gilbert and is known for roles in “The West Wing,” “Thirtysomething” and “Field of Dreams,” has denied all allegations and says he passed an independent polygraph examination.
Charges and court appearance
Albuquerque police issued a warrant last week charging Busfield with two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse. A criminal complaint alleges the acts occurred on the set of the television series “The Cleaning Lady,” which was filmed in the city.
Busfield appeared remotely via a video link from the jail where he had been booked Tuesday. He stood silent and expressionless during the brief proceeding while defense attorney Larry Stein spoke on his behalf.
“We plan on responding in detail to establish that he should not be detained” as the case proceeds, Stein said.
Allegations in the complaint
According to the criminal complaint, a child reported that he was 7 years old when Busfield allegedly touched him multiple times on private areas over his clothing. The complaint further alleges Busfield touched him on another occasion when he was 8 years old.
The boy’s twin brother told authorities he was also touched by Busfield but did not specify where, saying he did not report it because he did not want to get in trouble. The first child said he feared reporting the alleged abuse because Busfield was the director and he worried Busfield would become angry.
Their mother reported to Child Protective Services that the alleged abuse occurred between November 2022 and spring 2024. The investigation began in November 2024 after a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque contacted authorities. The boys’ parents had gone to the hospital at the recommendation of a law firm, according to the complaint.
Busfield’s defense
Before turning himself in Tuesday, Busfield shared a video with the media outlet TMZ in which he called the allegations lies. Defense attorney Stein said Busfield submitted to an independent polygraph examination within days of his court appearance, and that examiners found “no deception — (he) passed the polygraph test.”
In an interview with police last fall, Busfield denied the allegations and suggested the boys’ mother was seeking revenge after her children were replaced on “The Cleaning Lady.” His attorney echoed that argument Tuesday.
Stein also said a Warner Bros. independent investigation was unable to corroborate allegations of inappropriate behavior by Busfield. Prosecutors countered in their court filing that the Warner Bros. investigator failed to talk to key witnesses.
Laurie Levenson, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles and a former federal prosecutor, said New Mexico is among a handful of states that allow polygraph evidence in criminal cases, but that a judge would have final say over admissibility and that strict requirements apply.
“It may not be a test that qualifies,” Levenson said of the polygraph cited by Busfield’s attorneys. “But it’s something that helps the defense maybe both in the court of public opinion and maybe in approaching law enforcement and the prosecutors with taking another look at the case.”
Prosecution’s detention motion
In their motion seeking pretrial detention, prosecutors argued that those who wield authority, status or influence are uniquely positioned to evade accountability and circumvent safeguards designed to protect children.
“In light of the defendant’s demonstrated disregard for boundaries, authority and compliance, no condition or combination of conditions of release can reasonably protect the victims or the community,” the motion states.
Prosecutors also took issue with Busfield’s decision to share a video with TMZ before his court appearance, saying he was prioritizing “personal narrative control and public relations” over compliance with the court process.