A New Mexico judge on Tuesday ordered actor and director Timothy Busfield to be released from jail while he faces child sex abuse charges, allowing him to remain free as the case proceeds, as reported by The New York Post.

The decision came during a detention hearing in which Busfield’s wife, actress Melissa Gilbert, appeared emotional and mouthed “thank you, God” as the ruling was announced.

Judge David Murphy ordered that Busfield, 68, be released on his own recognizance.

In a rational world, this police interview with an 11 year old accuser of Timothy Busfield is game/set/match, ending the case against him…

But in the crazy world we live in, it will be claimed the kid lied out of fear of the supposedly very powerful Hollywood actor/director.
pic.twitter.com/YWfqNLRYqw

— John Ziegler (@Zigmanfreud) January 20, 2026

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Under the judge’s order, Busfield is permitted to leave the state and live at home, and he will be supervised by a pretrial services agency in Albuquerque while awaiting trial.

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Busfield, best known for his roles in Field of Dreams and Thirtysomething, has been charged in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, with child sex abuse.

Prosecutors allege that he inappropriately touched two minors while working as a director on the television series The Cleaning Lady.

Busfield has denied the allegations. In a statement earlier this month, his attorney Larry Stein said, “Tim Busfield denies the allegations in the criminal complaint and maintains they are completely false.”

In addition to the New Mexico charges, prosecutors have alleged in a Jan. 14 filing that Busfield sexually abused a 16-year-old girl “several years ago” in Sacramento, California.

No additional charges related to that allegation were announced at the hearing.

The judge’s decision followed the submission of letters of support from several of Busfield’s former colleagues.

Actors Ken Olin, Patricia Wettig, and Peter Horton, who worked with Busfield on Thirtysomething from 1987 to 1991, each submitted letters vouching for his character.

“Timothy is my friend, so no doubt I’m biased,” Olin wrote in his letter, which was included in a court filing by Busfield’s attorneys.

“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.”

Olin added, “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.”

Gilbert and Thirtysomething co-creator Edward Zwick, who won an Academy Award for producing Shakespeare in Love, also submitted letters of support, according to Deadline.

In a written opposition to prosecutors’ request for continued detention, Busfield’s attorneys argued that the state failed to show he posed a danger.

“The State’s attempt to transform responsible self-surrender into aggravating conduct only underscores the absence of genuine evidence of dangerousness,” the filing stated.

The document further argued that the allegations were contradicted by other evidence and assessments, and that “The Constitution does not allow liberty to be forfeited on such a foundation.”

Busfield was arrested after a warrant was issued on Jan. 9. According to court documents, he is accused of inappropriately touching one child three or four times and another five or six times.

Prosecutors allege the conduct began in 2022, when the boys were 7 years old.

The investigation began in November 2024, when a physician at the University of New Mexico Hospital contacted police after examining one of the children for suspected sexual abuse and grooming.

During a Nov. 3, 2025, interview cited in the arrest warrant, Busfield told police it was “highly likely” he touched children on set, but said it occurred in front of parents and without improper intent.

“I don’t really remember picking those boys up,” he told investigators.

After surrendering to authorities, Busfield released a video through TMZ denying the allegations. “I did not do anything to those little boys,” he said, calling the accusations “all lies.”

He added, “I’m going to fight it. I’m going to fight it with a great team, and I’m going to be exonerated.”

Melissa Gilbert cries as judge allows Timothy Busfield’s pre-trial release in child sex abuse case. pic.twitter.com/ApGhYCvQYg

— ExtraTV (@extratv) January 21, 2026

The case remains pending in New Mexico.

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