Actor Timothy Busfield has entered a not guilty plea to four felony counts of criminal sexual contact of a child under 13 in a New Mexico case tied to allegations arising from a television production where he worked as a director. Court records show the plea was entered after a judge approved requests from Busfield’s lawyers to waive an in-court arraignment and allow him to be absent from certain pretrial proceedings.
A Bernalillo County grand jury returned the indictment on Feb. 6, listing two alleged offense dates in October 2022 and two in September 2023. The alleged victims were 11 years old, according to reporting based on the indictment and court filings. The district attorney’s office said the case is being handled by its special victims unit and will proceed through the court process. District Attorney Sam Bregman said Busfield is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Busfield surrendered to authorities in January after an arrest warrant was issued. A judge later ordered his release under conditions that include restrictions around contact with minors while the case moves forward, according to court coverage of the detention and release hearings. His next court date is set for March 10 for a scheduling conference, where attorneys are expected to address timelines and pretrial issues.
Through counsel, Busfield has denied wrongdoing and said he will fight the charges. His attorney, Larry Stein, has argued publicly that the prosecution’s case cannot meet its burden at trial. The case has also drawn attention inside the industry because Busfield worked for decades as an actor-director in television, with credits that include “Thirtysomething” and “The West Wing,” placing the proceedings in the same public spotlight that often follows high-profile defendants.
