A New Mexico judge on Tuesday ordered the release of veteran Hollywood actor Timothy Busfield, rejecting claims that the 68-year-old posed any ongoing threat to the public.

(Video Credit: ExtraTV)

Busfield — best known to Middle America for his roles in “Field of Dreams” and “The West Wing” — had been held pre-trial at the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center in Albuquerque after voluntarily turning himself in on January 13, 2026, days after an arrest warrant was issued. His decision to surrender quietly, rather than stage a spectacle, became a focal point of the court’s analysis.

District Court Judge David Murphy made clear that the evidence simply did not support keeping Busfield behind bars. As his wife, “Little House on the Prairie” actress Melissa Gilbert, sat in the courtroom visibly emotional and in tears, the judge rejected the state’s claims outright.

“There’s no evidence of a pattern of criminal conduct; there are no similar allegations involving children in his past. Rather, this defendant self-surrendered and submitted himself to this court’s jurisdiction, demonstrating compliance with the court order for his arrest,” the judge said Tuesday.

Despite those findings, prosecutors attempted to paint Busfield as a predator by introducing allegations involving two young boys from years earlier. The state alleged Busfield touched the “private areas” of one boy when he was seven and eight years old and kissed another boy on the face while directing the television series “The Cleaning Lady.”

But defense filings — reported by Deadline — sharply criticized the prosecution’s tactics. In a January 16, 2026 opposition filing, Busfield’s attorneys argued that the state was attempting to twist his cooperation into something sinister.

“The State’s attempt to transform responsible self-surrender into aggravating conduct only underscores the absence of genuine evidence of dangerousness,” the filing asserted, noting that Busfield declined “to participate in a media event of the State’s choosing.”

The defense went further, questioning the credibility of the accusations themselves.

“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 court document read. “The Constitution does not allow liberty to be forfeited on such a foundation.”

Long before the current hearing, Busfield had already addressed the accusations directly. In a November 3, 2025 interview with investigators, he denied any inappropriate conduct and emphasized that any interactions with children occurred openly and with parents present.

Interactions with the children would have been “in front of the parents,” Busfield said, adding, “I don’t really remember picking those boys up.”

He did, however, describe a common on-set practice familiar to anyone who has worked with child actors.

“I remember picking up the boy who followed them. I’d pick him up, and he’d be giggling, and that would sort of get him ready to act,” he asserted.

To reinforce that point, the defense called “The Cleaning Lady” director of photography Alan Caudillo, who testified that children on set were never left alone and that parents often encouraged affectionate, reassuring behavior toward young performers.

Complicating matters, prosecutors filed a separate motion on January 14, 2026, alleging Busfield sexually abused a 16-year-old girl in California “several years ago.” However, the defense submitted a 2024 interview with the boys involved in the primary accusations in which they explicitly denied that Busfield had touched them inappropriately.

Through a representative, Melissa Gilbert declined to engage in public commentary during the legal proceedings.

“Her focus is on supporting and caring for their very large family, as they navigate this moment. Melissa stands with and supports her husband and will address the public at an appropriate time.”

For now, Busfield has been granted supervised release and is permitted to leave New Mexico to return home while awaiting trial.