Timothy Busfield will have a hearing on his release from prison next week
Timothy Busfield will have a hearing next Tuesday on whether he should be held in jail pending trial on child abuse charges.
Busfield remains at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Albuquerque after turning himself in on Tuesday. On Thursday, District Attorney Sam Bregman said at a news conference that it is common for his office to seek pretrial detention in child sexual abuse cases.
Busfield, 68, faces three charges: two counts of criminal sexual contact with a child and one count of child abuse. The first two charges each carry a maximum sentence of six years, the third a maximum of three years.
Busfield is accused of groping a 7-year-old boy who was an actor on “The Cleaning Lady” in 2022. The boy told investigators last fall that Busfield — who was hired to direct six episodes of the Fox show — had touched his “private areas” on set.
Busfield, a star of “Thirtysomething” and “The West Wing,” has adamantly maintained his innocence. His attorney, Stanton “Larry” Stein, said Wednesday that Busfield voluntarily submitted to a polygraph exam and passed.
At the news conference, Bregman declined to discuss the facts of the case, saying it would be inappropriate.
“My first obligation and the duty of my office is to ensure the integrity of this process,” he said. “The rules of professional conduct are clear. Prosecutors should try cases in court and not in the media, and that is what we intend to do.”
He also asked anyone with information to report to the police.
New Mexico voters reformed the bail process in 2016, eliminating cash bail while allowing judges to keep suspects in custody if they posed a risk to the community.
On Wednesday, prosecutors argued in a motion that Busfield poses a risk to children if released.
“His conduct reflects a calculated pattern of grooming, lack of boundaries, and exploitation of professional authority to gain access to minors,” wrote Savannah Brandenburg-Koch, deputy district attorney.
The prosecutor also accused Busfield of delaying turning himself in and flying to New Mexico instead of turning himself in to authorities near his New York home so he could be extradited.
The court’s pre-trial services division recommended that he be released on his own recognizance.
Judge David Murphy will hold a hearing on the state’s request Tuesday afternoon. Busfield will then be formally charged and charged.
Bregman estimated the case would take twelve to eighteen months to resolve.
Bregman is a candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor of New Mexico. He is also the father of baseball star Alex Bregman.
