Deadline has reported that Timothy Busfield (The West Wing, Field Of Dreams) has garnered support from members of the Thirtysomething team after child sexual abuse allegations on the set of The Cleaning Lady. Busfield has denied the allegations and surrendered to authorities five days after his arrest warrant was issued. He is currently being held without bail in New Mexico.
According to mxdwn, Busfield was arrested for allegedly touching two 2014-born boys in their “poop” and “pee” area. Another report came out against Busfield in the wake of the allegations regarding a 17-year-old girl in Sacramento.
The defense recently released a filing regarding Busfield’s current incarceration and pre-trial proceedings: “The State’s attempt to transform responsible self-surrender into aggravating conduct only underscores the absence of genuine evidence of dangerousness,” via Deadline.
The filing continues, “The Motion asks the Court to imprison a man based on a story that has already collapsed under independent scrutiny,” the exhibit-heavy document from Albuquerque attorneys Amber Fayerberg and Christopher Dodd says. “The State offers no reliable proof—only allegations advanced by witnesses with documented histories of fraud and financial exploitation, contradicted by a comprehensive studio investigation, and refuted by witnesses and objective risk assessments. The Constitution does not allow liberty to be forfeited on such a foundation. The State’s Motion should be denied.”
The legal team for Busfield also noted that he had passed a polygraph test about the alleged incident. “The Motion asks the Court to imprison a man based on a story that has already collapsed under independent scrutiny,” the exhibit-heavy document from Albuquerque attorneys Amber Fayerberg and Christopher Dodd says. “The State offers no reliable proof—only allegations advanced by witnesses with documented histories of fraud and financial exploitation, contradicted by a comprehensive studio investigation, and refuted by witnesses and objective risk assessments. The Constitution does not allow liberty to be forfeited on such a foundation. The State’s Motion should be denied.” If found guilty, Busfield faces up to ten years in prison.
According to Deadline, Ken Olin (This Is Us, Alias), a co-star of Bushfield on Thirtysomething, released a statement about his relationship with the Emmy-winning director and his support for his character. “Timothy is my friend, so no doubt I’m biased, but I know him well, through many years and many changing life circumstances, and he has always been a man who cares about other people – old and young. And I know in the very bottom of my heart that Timothy would never do anything to cruelly exploit or harm anyone, let alone a child.” Peter Orton (TV Spun, Fantasy Football League) and Patricia Weiling Olin have offered additional statements of support for Busfield.
Deadline has reported that Busfield’s legal team has gone after the reliability of the alleged victim’s parents, citing a disbarment from the bar due to admitting to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Additionally, on a call, Busfield has stated that the victim’s mother stated on a phone call to Cleaning Lady lead actress Elodie Young that she intended to get “revenge” on Busfield for not bringing her children back onto the show.
According to Deadline, Busfield has had two prior allegations of sexual misconduct in 1994 and 2001, one of which involved a minor. Both cases were brought by women. Neither allegation led to charges.
Deadline has reported that On January 15th, a psychological evaluation was administered to Busfield. “Given Mr. Busfield did not have any static or dynamic risk factors identified through the assessment and psychometric tools, it is highly likely that he would abide by any supervision requirements placed on him, if he was released from custody.” Another pre-trial hearing will take place on January 20th.